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)