RI athletes arrive in Busan for Asian Games

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Busan, South Korea

The main batch of Indonesian athletes for the Busan 2002 Asian Games arrived in the South Korean southern port city of Busan after a six-hour flight from Jakarta on Monday morning.

The athletes say they are determined to realize the National Sports Council's (KONI) target of six gold medals.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, however, has even higher expectations and has asked the athletes to try winning 15 gold medals instead of just six.

The quadrennial sports event will officially commence on Sept. 29 and end on Oct. 14.

The weather was mild with an average temperature of 12 degrees Celsius. The average temperature during the Asiad is expected to be about 20 degrees Celcius.

Despite the tiring flight, most of the athletes were in good spirits upon their arrival at around 7 a.m. Busan time (5 a.m. Jakarta time).

The 130-strong main contingent consisted of 51 athletes from 11 sports led by Indonesian chef-de-mission, Rudolf S. Warouw. Also traveling with the main group of athletes were several sports officials and journalists.

The athletes were swimmer Richard Sam Bera, judoka Endang Sri Lestari, pole vaulter Ni Putu Desy Margawati, hammer thrower Yurita Ariany Arsyad, six beach volleyball players, four pool players, eight canoeists, five karatekas, nine rowers, eight tae kwon doins, four weightlifters and six wushu athletes.

The athletes and officials were greeted by deputy chef-de- mission I Gusti Kompyang Manila and contingent secretary Rosa Hertamina.

Last Monday, a small batch of 16 athletes led by Manila had left for Busan. They consisted of archers, cyclists and long- distance runner I Gde Karang Asem, who needed a longer acclimatization period.

Windsurfers I Gusti Made Oka Sulaksana and Fadly Faisal had already been here since Sept. 7 to check out Busan's windy Haeundae beach, which will be the venue for windsurfing.

Indonesian honorary consul in Busan, Kim Soo-il, was also present at Busan's Gimhae International Airport. Several Indonesian workers were also seen greeting the contingent's arrival.

Meanwhile, Kim told Indonesian reporters that Busan residents felt that the Asian Games were more their party compared to the 2002 World Cup co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.

Busan was one of 10 South Korean cities hosting the quadrennial soccer event where the South Korean team made history by entering the semifinals stage to end in fourth place.

To show local residents' support, the Dongnae Local Confucian Academy is slated to stage an ancient ritual on Tuesday in the Myung Ryun Hall in Myung Ryun-dong to wish every success to the Busan Asian Games.

The Confucian ritual will begin at 10:30 a.m. local time.

Kim, who is also dean of the Graduate School of International Management and Area Studies at Busan University of Foreign Studies, added that Indonesia's was the first contingent to arrive here.

Indonesian gymnast Jonathan Sianturi, and the men's tennis players will leave on Tuesday. Meanwhile three bodybuilders, two divers and the badminton players will leave on Saturday.