Siregar may lead RI's Asian Games task force

JAKARTA (JP): Sports consultant Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar has been tipped to chair the task force to decide which sports Indonesia will compete in at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok next December.

The National Sports Council's secretary-general, Rudolf S. Warouw, said yesterday that Siregar was the strongest of the three leading candidates. The others are Muhammad Hindarto, the council's athletes development deputy, and Togi M. Hutagaol, the council's planning and budget deputy who was also the country's chef de mission in the 19th SEA Games.

As well as Siregar, Hindarto and Togi, the task force will include sports adviser Arnold Lisapaly, the 19th SEA Games training director Djoko Pramono, Subardi Suar and M. Sarengat. The council's vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, is to be the task force's adviser.

Warouw said the task force would discuss the choice of sports, the budget, the training program and ways to control the program.

"However, the council's chairman will make the final decision on which sports we will compete in," he said.

The council has announced 16 potential sports in which Indonesia might compete in at the quadrennial event. They are archery, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, judo, karate, rowing, surfing, swimming, tae kwon do, tennis, track and field and weight lifting.

The council has also urged each sports organization to submit a proposal including its prediction of likely successes.

"The task force will analyze the proposals to decide which sports should represent Indonesia. It will also discuss with the sports organizations if the proposals are unclear or unreasonable," Warouw said.

Warouw said the council would discuss budget planning after the task force had finished its work.

The minister of youth affairs and sports, Hayono Isman, has urged the council to submit the budget soon so that it can be included in the 1998/1999 State Budget.

"We'll be delighted if the government wants to help us by including our budget in the State Budget," Warouw said.

The council plans to start a 10-month decentralized training program soon and finance it jointly with sports organizations and their provincial branches.

"For example, the council will ask Surabaya to stage the training for the soccer team. This is to solve financial problems and because seven of the 18 players come from East Java," Warouw said.

"The Indonesian Amateur Athletic Association plans to stage its long-distance running training in Pengalengan, West Java. It might choose to have more coaches, either local or foreign, to sharpen the runners' Asian records," he said.

Afterward, the council will have a three-month training program here.

Gold medal

Warouw, who was the SEA Games organizer committee's secretary- general, said the organizers still intended to confiscate Tonton Susanto's gold.

"Tonton's A and B urine samples were found to contain banned substances. We must confiscate his medal to educate other athletes to make them more careful when consuming medicines, to be more disciplined and to consult their coaches more," he said.

Tonton, who competed in the men's 40kms Individual Time Trial and the 70kms Individual Road Race, was found guilty of using fencamfamine after winning the time trial on Oct. 12.

He said he consumed three medicines, given to him by his uncle, after he felt ill three days before the Games started.

"The organizers have discussed the gold confiscation with the Indonesian Cycling Association officials and the latter can accept it," Warouw said.

The association is still waiting for the International Cycling Union's decision on Tonton's punishment.

The organizers plan to officially announce the confiscation soon, along with the golds won by Myanmar and Thai athletes who also failed doping tests.

Warouw said the organizers had yet to receive a response from Myanmar or Thailand's National Olympic Committees although the two-week deadline had passed.

"We'll call them to ask if they want the B samples tested or not," he said.

The B samples will be tested in the Sydney doping laboratory, a process which would be financed by the respective countries. (yan)