RI seeks inclusion of canoeing in SEAG

RI seeks inclusion of canoeing in SEAG

JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council (KONI) secretary-general
Rudolf S Warouw said on Wednesday the council would ask State
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahadi Sinambela to persuade
Malaysia to include canoeing in the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games in Kuala Lumpur.

"We hope the minister will send a letter to Malaysia's youth
and sports minister, Tan Sri Dato Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Mohd
Yassin, to persuade him to feature canoeing in the Games," he
said.

Indonesia has asked Malaysia to include judo, rowing and
canoeing, softball and traditional boat racing in the biennial
event. During voting at the SEA Games Federation Council meeting
on which sports would be included in the Games, judo and rowing
received eight votes, while canoeing received seven.

"I spoke to the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia,
Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Tuanku Ja'afar, during the Olympic
Committee of Asia meeting in Kuwait about the voting results, and
asked him about the chances of featuring canoeing. Imran said NOC
had a disharmonious relationship with the Malaysian canoeing
federation.

"The SEA Games Federation Council has agreed to feature 30
sports, and nine sports will be featured as exhibition sports,"
he said.

The 30 sports to be included in the Games are archery,
badminton, basketball, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling,
equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, karate-do, lawn
bowls, netball, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw, shooting,
soccer, squash, swimming (including diving, synchronized swimming
and water polo), table tennis, tae kwon do, tennis, ten pin
bowling, track and field, volleyball, weightlifting, wushu and
yachting.

"I asked Imran to include canoeing because the council meeting
approved the results (of the vote)," Warouw said.

Discussing Indonesia's chances of competing in tennis at the
Olympic Games in Sydney from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1, Warouw said
women's singles Wynne Prakusya had a good opportunity to receive
a wild card for the competition.

"However, it will be announced on Aug. 15 who will receive
wild cards. But we are optimistic that Wynne will get one because
she has received the Olympics Solidarity scholarship. For her
doubles partnership with Yayuk Basuki, however, I'm afraid we
won't be able to get a wild card. Maybe the IOC (International
Olympic Committee)'s priority is to give the wild cards to
countries with a limited number of athletes competing in the
Olympics," he said.

On the likelihood of archery receiving a wild card to compete
in the women's team event at the Olympics, Warouw said the IOC
also would respond to that request on Aug. 15.

"We sent a letter to the Sydney Olympic Games Organizing
Committee. We just need to wait for the answer." (yan)