Senayan sports complex to build new facilities
JAKARTA (JP): The Gelora Senayan Management Board (BPGS) will both renovate and build venues at the Senayan sports complex to meet international standards as part of the country's effort to win the bid to host the 2006 Asian Games.
The outgoing vice chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI), Arie Sudewo, told reporters after meeting with the board members on Tuesday that BPGS would also build accommodation facilities for athletes near the complex.
The Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA)'s regulations say an athletes village must be located near or adjacent to the sports venues.
Arie said a small team comprising the board members, as well as the athletes development and the budget planning departments officials, was still carrying out an inventory of the condition of the 18 venues in the sports complex.
"On the basis of this exercise, the board will build another five venues without neglecting the environment at the complex and its surroundings. We still have enough space to construct those venues in order to reduce the number of sports events to be held outside the Senayan complex," he said.
"We are also giving thought to making safe and comfortable venues," Arie added, without mentioning the deadline for completion of the reinventory.
The eighteen venues at the complex are the Senayan main stadium, indoor stadium, swimming pool, track and field stadium, clay and indoor tennis courts, badminton courts, volleyball hall, basketball hall, three multi-purpose halls, archery field, beach volleyball court, squash courts, gymnastics hall, hockey field and shooting range.
Arie said the board had yet to list the venues which would be renovated or constructed and the budget needed to finance the renovation.
"Our discussions have yet to reach those points. However, we plan to renovate them step by step. We hope the government is able to financially support the effort and show its political will to host the 2006 Asian Games," he said.
The Senayan management board, chaired by ex-officio Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung, controls 279 hectares of land in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Most of the plots are dedicated to sport venues, while some are leased to 10 private firms under terms of between 20 years and 40 years.
The board's officials have boasted that the 100-hectare sports complex was the second biggest such complex in the world after one in Sydney, which covers 760 hectares and includes a national park.
Arie said that the board would not relocate certain sport venues which were distant from the capital, such as rowing at the Jatiluhur reservoir in Purwakarta, West Java, and the cycling track at Rawamangun, East Jakarta.
Asiad bidding
Bidding for the Asiad is part of KONI's ambitious Golden Garuda project, aimed at making Indonesia the host and finishing at least sixth in the medal tally.
Malaysia, India and the United Arab Emirates have shown an interest in bidding for the quadrennial event.
KONI had earlier planned to establish a small team to prepare Jakarta's proposal to host the Games. OCA's constitution and rules chapter 38 stipulates that the bidding opens six years before the Games.
Arie mentioned December 2000 as a deadline for Indonesia to arrange the proposal. He said each bidding country could put in their letter of intent by the end of this year.
Each bidding country must submit its proposal along with an application fee of US$10,000. If a country is appointed host, it is required to contribute another $190,000 to OCA at the latest three months after the announcement.
Proposals must identify proposed venues and athletes village facilities for the Games, plus the financial resources to host the event.
At least 17 events must be planned, including the two Olympics mainstays of athletics and swimming. The Games must take place over between 12 and 16 days, including the opening and closing ceremonies.
President B.J. Habibie himself has thrown his weight behind KONI's idea, despite criticism from several sports organizations that it was unrealistic due to the country's crisis of the past two years. (ivy)