SEAG team plans spectator campaign

SEAG team plans spectator campaign

JAKARTA (JP): The Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee
promised yesterday to learn from the recent National Games which
failed to attract the attention of Jakartans.

Ishadi SK, the committee's deputy for communication and
publications, said that the organizers plan to stage a campaign
on the Games program by the end of this year.

"We have only six months for the campaign due to the fasting
month and Idul Fitri holidays early next year and the general
election in May," he said.

The purpose of the campaign is to encourage more people to
come and watch all matches at all venues.

Ishadi said that the organizers and the underwriting
consortium, which is chaired by President Soeharto's son Bambang
Trihatmodjo, expects to launch the official logo and mascot for
the Games in December.

The organizers also plan to stage a photo exhibition, athlete-
fans get-togethers and face-to-face meetings with top athletes to
add spice to the Games.

"Who knows, maybe we can invite Michael Jordan or Shaq O'Neall
to arrive during the Games," he said.

No less than 2,000 journalists from the 10 participating
countries will cover the Games. The media center will be in a
5,500-square-meter room in the Jakarta Convention Center
basement.

Ishadi said that the six national TV stations will run a pool
coverage of the 10-day Games. He will feature the plans at the
Asian Broadcasting Union meeting in Hong Kong this week and the
International Sports Journalists Conference in Malaysia two weeks
later. (yan)