Second group of RI athletes to leave for SEAG

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A second group of Indonesian athletes and officials will depart on Tuesday for the Vietnam, which is hosting the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

This second group consists of 355 athletes and officials. Of that number, 247 athletes and officials from athletics, beach volleyball, wrestling, pencak silat, fencing, traditional boat race and shooting will be heading to Hanoi.

The rest will fly to Ho Chi Minh City, where they will compete in badminton, basketball, billiards, chess, judo, tae kwon do and tennis.

A first group of 242 athletes and officials left for Hanoi on Friday by chartered plane.

The rest of the contingent will be dispatched between Dec. 3 and Dec. 7. Overall, Indonesia will send 597 athletes and 269 officials to the SEA Games, which will officially open on Dec. 5.

Competing in 28 of the 32 sports at the event, Indonesia hopes to win about 70 gold medals, according to chief de mission Djoko Pramono, who will be leaving for Vietnam on Tuesday.

"The SEA Games offers 427 golds, and as already stated by Pak Agum (Gumelar) we will be trying to collect about 70," Djoko said.

Agum, who is the chairman of the National Sports Council, put forward that gold medal figure during a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri last month.

Given its performance at the last two editions of the biennial sporting showcase, Indonesia, which once was the dominant sporting force in the region, has little chance of winning the overall championship.

"Thailand has targeted about 140 golds," Djoko said.

Indonesia finished third overall in 1999 and 2001.

Although the Games will officially open on Dec. 5, a few event have already begun.

Indonesia beat Laos 1-0 on Sunday in men's soccer.

"Archery has already had its prequalifying matches. Rina (Puspita) set a new SEA Games record," Djoko said.

In Vietnam's first time hosting the event, the organizing committee has designated two cities to stage events: Hanoi (21 events) and Ho Chi Minh City (11).

Hanoi seems to have the most challenging climate for Indonesian athletes and all participants in general.

"With the temperature measuring between 20 and 22 Celsius degrees, it is unfriendly for us but we should be able to deal," Djoko said.