SEA Games entry forms should be ready on time

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee says that the printing of entry forms should be completed in time to meet the deadline for sending out documentation to participating countries.

Entry forms, technical handbooks and reference books on drug abuse and testing are due to be mailed out before the middle of August.

Competition commission chairman M. Hindarto said the printing agency had broken its promise to have everything ready this week.

The commission also has the financial problem of how to get about Rp 300 million (US$114,500) together to pay for the Games' foreign referees traveling costs.

The number of referees has now increased from 800 to 966 because earlier some countries had not followed their respective federations' rules about the number of juries and sports officials they should send.

"Some countries' sports, had confirmed for instance that they would send only two people to cover all the track and field, and swimming events. But the rules state there should be two officials for each individual sport," he said.

The commission has yet to find somewhere for athletes competing in indoor events to train.

On rowing preparations, he said the commission had made down- payments for eight rowing lanes to be built. Rowing, canoeing and traditional boat racing events will be on Jatiluhur dam in West Java.

The dates of some boxing and soccer events have been changed.

The boxing finals will now be on Oct. 16 instead of Oct. 18 because most boxers taking part in the SEA Games are also due to compete in the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Budapest, Hungary beginning Oct. 18.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has asked the organizers to hold all soccer competitions in Jakarta but the Padjadjaran Stadium in Bogor, West Java, has been readied for women's soccer competitions.

"We will discuss it with the AFC because we have already spent a lot of money refurbishing the stadium," said Hindarto.

Drugs

Kompas reported the commission has vowed to deal very strictly with drug use cases in the coming SEA Games.

The commission will conduct drug tests at the municipality drug center in Rawasari, Central Jakarta.

The drug testing center has been given temporary accreditation from the International Olympic Committee.

"We cannot handle this ourselves as we still need approval to carry out the drug tests," he said.

Indonesia could also ask Australian drug testing experts to help, to make the tests here valid, he said. (03)