Soeharto wishes SEA Games team good luck
Soeharto wishes SEA Games team good luck
JAKARTA (JP): Victory is all that President Soeharto asks of the national team heading for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, next week.
As he officially dispatched the 689-strong team at the State Palace yesterday, Soeharto said that the Indonesia's pride would be depending on the national athletes during the regional sporting extravaganza, scheduled to take place from Dec. 9 until Dec. 17.
"It's not an easy job, but you can stand above other competitors if you battle it out with strong self-motivation," Soeharto told the national SEA Games team members, who all wore either black suits or black dresses for the occasion.
The male athletes sported red batik neckties, while their female teammates wore red batik scarves.
Vice President Try Sutrisno was in attendance at the gathering.
Several teams, including the soccer, tennis, cycling and table tennis teams, were abroad and not able to attend yesterday's meeting. The soccer team's 18 players left Jakarta on Thursday to acclimatize themselves to the cool weather in Chiang Mai before the competition kicks off on Monday.
The President said that the athletes would disappoint millions of fans if they did not reach the summits of their respective sports.
"The country's 195 million people are going to watch their sportsmen and women competing in Chiang Mai and pray for them. I myself will try to keep an eye on the competition from day to day," Soeharto said.
"A blend of physical and mental readiness and strong self- confidence will help you cope with any situation, even ones you never envisaged," Soeharto said.
Soeharto told the athletes to place discipline above all else during the competition. "Listen to any instructions given by your coaches," he said.
Indonesia, defending overall champion at the games, is banking on 470 athletes who will compete in 26 of 28 sports in Chiang Mai. It has set its sights on winning 30 percent of the 334 gold medals at stake in order to retain its supremacy in the regional event.
Thailand beat Indonesia in 1985 in Bangkok to become the only country other than Indonesia to win the SEA Games since 1977. The Games were formerly titled the Southeast Asia Peninsula Games.
Signature
National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman flanked the big contingent yesterday.
A number of cabinet ministers who also chair sports organizations were also present at the gathering. They included Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman, Minister of Investment Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Affairs Soesilo Soedarman.
Soeharto handed a red-and-white flag to the national squad's mission chief Arie Sudewo, marking the official deployment of the team to Chiang Mai.
The President also put his signature on a supporters' banner which reads "Unite our determination, defend our pride in Chiang Mai."
The sports council will display a record-breaking 15-kilometer-long banner with thousands of signatures and expressions of support when the contingent departs on Wednesday. The banner will be stretched from the council's office at Senayan to somewhere en-route to the Soekarno-Hatta airport.
After the ceremony yesterday, Soeharto spent a few minutes chatting with badminton queen Susi Susanti, top women's archer Nurfitriana Lantang and prominent women's swimmer Elsa Manora Nasution.
The contingent will leave for Chiang Mai in two groups. The larger part will depart on Wednesday morning, while a smaller group will leave in the afternoon. (amd)