Siregar may lead RI's Asian Games task force

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)