SEA Games organizers still need Rp 15 billion

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games organizing committee has received Rp 90 billion (US$25 million) of its Rp 105 billion budget from the Games consortium.

The organizers' information and communications deputy, Ishadi SK, told a press conference after the organizers' eight-hour plenary meeting yesterday that the Rp 15 billion difference is expected from sticker sales.

Of the Rp 15 billion, Rp 8 billion will be used to pay the 36 hotel bills, Rp 2.8 billion to pay the international broadcasting center operational costs, Rp 400 million to finance the communications and the rest to pay the referees' allowances and other fees.

Ishadi said the financial reports would be audited, hopefully, by the middle of the next month.

"We should receive the Rp 15 billion from the consortium before the auditing process is finished," he said.

He did not give a detailed explanation about the money that had already come from the consortium, which is chaired by President Soeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

The National Sports Council has also offered the consortium the job of financing the Indonesian contingent for the 13th Asian Games.

"The council has asked the consortium to make a proposal but it has yet to respond," Ishadi said.

The meeting also discussed Indonesia's medal-winning chances in the Asian Games in December 1998 in Bangkok.

The council is expected to athletes from 16 sports to the quadrennial event. They are badminton, weight lifting, fencing, track and field, cycling, karate (only kata division), surfing, archery, gymnastics (the council will only send Jonathan Mangiring Sianturi, who won five gold medals at the SEA Games), swimming, taekwondo, tennis (only if world ranked 21st Yayuk Basuki plays), beach volleyball, boxing, judo and rowing.

These sports are considered Indonesia's best chances of winning golds.

"The athletes must meet the qualification of reaching world or Asian records or win qualification for the Games or meet the times set by the Games organizers," Ishadi said.

"Each sports organizations must have a decentralized training scheme supervised by the council. And the council will stage more training abroad," he said.

Ishadi said the key to Indonesia's success in the just- concluded SEA Games, where the host won 194 golds from 34 sports, was the long-term preparation.

Indonesia prepared its athletes for 11 months, compared to the 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when Indonesian athletes only prepared for five months. Indonesia finished second with 77 golds while Thailand won 154 golds from 28 sports.

Ishadi also said that Indonesia's failure in Chiang Mai was because host Thailand did not stage some events where Indonesia had a great chance to win many golds, like wushu, rowing and karate. (yan)