Senayan sports complex to build new facilities

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)