RI expects rise in medal count

JAKARTA: The National Sports Council (KONI) said on Tuesday that Indonesia would not be preoccupied by an ambition to win the most medals at the 2005 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games, but would still try to improve upon its medal count of 222 in 2003.

KONI's head of development affairs Djoko Pramono said it would be difficult to emerge as the top medal winners now that Indonesia was still struggling in four major sports: athletics, swimming, gymnastics and shooting.

"Don't dream of becoming champions in the SEA Games if we cannot improve in those four sports," he told reporters on the sidelines of a one-day sports seminar here on Tuesday.

"We are simply content for a chase to increase our medal collection."

Eleven nations in the region are expected to take part in the 2005 SEA Games to be hosted by Manila in December. --JP