PON committee predicts Rp 1.2b in games profit

JAKARTA (JP): The 14th National Games (PON) Organizing Committee is expecting to make a considerable profit, thereby refuting fears that it lacks the funds to stage the country's biggest sporting extravaganza.

Eddy Widodo, the committee's secretary-general, told reporters yesterday that the organizers are expecting their revenue to be Rp 29.7 billion (US$13.3 million), surpassing the budget of Rp 28.5 billion by Rp 1.2 billion.

With just five days left before the opening ceremony on Sept. 9, the committee's revenues stood at Rp 24 billion yesterday. Eddy said that the committee would raise another Rp 3 billion from the Games promoter PT Citra Hasta Utama, which is set to hand in the money today.

By the opening ceremony, the budget will see a Rp 1.5 billion deficit. "The last of the money will come from the participation fees of Rp 2.2 billion plus an estimated Rp 560 million from ticket sales," Eddy said.

The previous Games three years ago earned a profit of Rp 230 million. The money, along with Rp 20 million in interest, has been used by this year's committee.

Eddy said that the organizers would deposit any profit in a bank for use by the organizers of the next Games.

Eddy also said that, except for some minor work at four sites, the Games venues are ready for use.

The venues still being renovated are the Senayan hockey field, the Sumantri Brojonegoro boxing gym, the newly inaugurated Raden Inten gymnastic dome and the beach volleyball sand arena at the Senayan sports complex.

President Soeharto is scheduled to open the quadrennial event on Sept. 9 at the Senayan stadium. The Games will run through Sept. 20.

Meanwhile, the committee vowed yesterday to stick to the rules on Hendrik Simangunsong. North Sumatra insisted Tuesday it would bring the light middleweight boxer here despite the committee's disapproval.

Eman Sumusi, the official in charge of athletes' validity, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that the committee would refer to the Asian International Boxing Association ruling which bars a boxer for three months who has suffered two recent knock-out defeats. Hendrik was knocked out in a tournament in Cuba and at the Atlanta Olympic Games, both in July.

"He has to take a break until October at least," Eman said. "Hendrik can be registered as a participant of North Sumatra but we won't allow him to fight," Eman insisted.

The National Games committee has issued approvals to five more athletes in addition to the previous 4,915 sportsmen and women.

The organizers had earlier predicted that 5,049 athletes would compete in Jakarta, but some provinces withdrew athletes because of their slim chances of gaining medals.

In Semarang, Central Java, chairman of the province's sports governing body Soegijono vowed yesterday that his team will finish third or second at the Games.

"We are out to maintain the fourth position we achieved in the previous Games three years ago. However, we will try our best to climb to the third and hopefully second," Soegijono told reporters yesterday.

Soegijono said Central Java is sending 480 athletes, 139 of whom are women, to compete in 31 sports.

The sports in question include basketball, fencing, track and field, cycling, riding, volleyball, badminton, chess, archery, tennis, boxing, soccer, gymnastics and swimming.

Soegijono said that Central Java is looking for gold medals in badminton, table tennis, track and field and martial arts pencak silat, kempo and judo.

Central Java will also take part in the exhibitions events wushu, roller skating and rock climbing. (har/arf/yan)