SEA Games organizers slam rowdy local fans
JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee has complained about the Indonesian soccer supporters' behavior during the opening match against Laos and expects them to behave better in forthcoming games.
The organizers' secretary-general, Rudolph S. Warouw, said yesterday that despite the supporters' fanaticism for their team, they also had to respect other teams' supporters and the security guards.
"It was a real shame to see our own supporters throw mineral water bottles at our security guards during Sunday's match," Warouw said.
Soccer matches started Sunday, seven days prior to the opening ceremony on Oct. 11. The final will be on Oct. 18, meaning it will not be part of the Games closing ceremony on Oct. 19, as was the case on the last two occasions Jakarta hosted the biennial event.
The organizers are providing free tickets for the public. These can be obtained by handing in the SEA Games stickers that were given out with electricity, telephone and water bills.
The sticker exchange office is on the ground floor of the Gelora Senayan Management Board building on Jl. Pintu Satu Senayan, which is also the office of the National Sports Council.
The tickets are also available at each venue before events begin.
"We urge supporters to understand that getting free tickets means they still have to obey the rules and pay respect to the security personnel," Warouw said.
Some indoor venues, including the badminton hall on Jl. Asia Afrika, the volleyball venue at the Senayan indoor stadium and the boxing venue in the Kuningan sports hall only have limited seats.
"The public must understand that if a venue is full, they must not insist on entering it," Warouw said.
The organizers have to provide special space for the VVIPs, the VIPs, and participating countries' supporters at all venues.
The consortium's promotion and business deputy, Enggartiasto Lukita, denied reports saying that the Hotel Mulia, the athletes village, was not ready to accommodate its share of the participants.
"We are accommodating all participants from seven days prior to two days after the event. But not all countries sent their name lists and arrival schedules to the organizers," he said.
As of last night, the hotel had finished 730 of its 1,008 rooms and more are expected to be added.
Intolerable
Citing an example, Enggartiasto said that on Oct. 4, the hotel prepared rooms and meals for 400 guests, to comply with the list given by the organizers.
"Eventually, only 40 guests came. This was intolerable," he said.
Warouw also apologized for hoisting an incorrect Malaysian national flag at Hotel Mulia.
"I admit this was a mistake on the part of the organizers. I have warned the flag maker because it is a matter of the pride of the nation concerned. I have also asked all hotels to check all participating countries' flags."
Yesterday the Games financing consortium signed a US$500,000 insurance policy with PT Artha Graha.
It will cover 8,000 athletes, officials, journalists, organizing committee members and security personnel.
The contract, which will be effective from Oct. 3 to Oct. 22, will pay Rp 30 million (US$8,100) for deaths, Rp 10 million for disabilities and Rp 1 million for illnesses caused by the Games organizers. (yan)