RI to participate in 22 events as planned in Bangkok
RI to participate in 22 events as planned in Bangkok
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo
Arismunandar said yesterday the council had not changed its mind
about sending athletes from 22 sports to compete in the 13th
Asian Games in Bangkok in December.
Wismoyo was commenting on State Minister of Youth Affairs and
Sports Hayono Isman's call to reduce the number of sports
Indonesia would contest at the Asiad due to the country's
economic crisis.
"The minister's call was understandable due to the monetary
situation," Wismoyo told reporters yesterday. "But if the council
can send athletes from 22 sports, why not? The council must think
of ways to finance the athletes to compete in the Asiad."
Hayono said Tuesday after attending President Soeharto's
presentation of the government's draft budget that the council
must reduce either the number of athletes or the number of events
due to the limited funds available.
The National Development Planning Board has agreed to provide
only Rp 2 billion (US$278,000) of the council's original budget
of Rp 15 billion.
Hayono urged the council to only select potential medal
winners to compete in the Asiad.
The 22 sports in which Indonesia will compete are track and
field, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing,
soccer, gymnastics, judo, karate, rowing, sepak takraw, shooting,
swimming, tae kwon do, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting,
wrestling, wushu and yachting.
Hayono expressed pessimism about the private sector's ability
to provide financial assistance to the Asiad squad because
businesses were struggling in the face of the rupiah's downturn.
Wismoyo said the council would try to solve the financial
problems for the long-term training programs by asking three
provinces -- Jakarta, Central Java and East Java -- to stage
decentralized training camps and that each sports organization
would finance half of the training.
"We must be able to handle the monetary situation. The
situation is influencing the preparations for the Asiad and
sports development in the country.
"I, as the highest leader of sports organizations in the
country, am still committed to reaching my target this year," he
said.
Wismoyo said he understood the allocation of the State Budget
for youth affairs and sports was Rp 71.5 billion, which was only
1.45 percent of the budget for the education, culture and
religious affairs sector.
Although the figure is nominally higher than in the 1997/1998
budget, which was only Rp 70.6 billion, it is less in dollar
terms.
"The council understands the situation and we'll accept the
budget for national sports development without any complaints,"
he said.
Consortium
Separately, Enggartiasto Lukita, the funding and business
deputy of the 19th SEA Games consortium, told reporters yesterday
that the audited financial reports would be announced publicly in
another two weeks.
"We know the reports will be late but we hope our public
accountant can finish the auditing process in one or two weeks.
The accountants still have to confirm to sticker sales and we'll
let them work independently," he said.
"When the reports are finished, the consortium executive
director will report the results to the SEA Games organizing
chairman," he added.
Enggartiasto said the consortium still had a Rp 15 billion
deficit, which might be increased due to the rupiah's downturn.
"The consortium has yet to receive funds from some sponsors
because we breached the contracts during the SEA Games," he said.
Some venues allowed advertisements for companies not included
in the five major sponsors of the SEA Games. (yan)