SEA Games organizers slam rowdy local fans

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)