Sports council wants Golden Garuda in GBHN
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) aims to push for inclusion of its ambitious Golden Garuda project in the State Policy Guidelines (GBHN) to ensure the new government will support sports development in the country.
KONI vice chairman Arie Sudewo said on Thursday that officials from the council, the office of the state minister of youth affairs and sports, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Culture would gather on Friday to devise a draft of the project.
"Hopefully, we can finish the draft tomorrow to be brought to the session on state guidelines for the General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly soon," he said.
Arie said that inclusion of the project in the five-yearly guidelines was expected to prod the government to give more support, particularly financial assistance, to sports development, including the goal to improve achievements.
"Through including the project in the guidelines, hopefully there will be the commitment of the sports community to develop sports in the country."
Among the project's aims is a minimal sixth-place finish for Indonesian athletes in the 2006 Asian Games. Indonesia was 11th with six gold medals in the Games last year.
"Generally, we are estimating spending about Rp 100 billion (US$12.8 million) per year which will be taken from the state budget. The figure could be supplemented from the provincial budgets," Arie said.
The government budgets about Rp 60 billion annually for sports, youth affairs and educational activities throughout the country.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Yassin Muhyiddin said on Wednesday that Indonesia's decision to withdraw from bidding to host the 2006 Asian Games would make it easier for Malaysia as the ASEAN bidding nation.
Indonesia's State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono said previously that the decision to withdraw was meant to boost the ASEAN spirit of togetherness.
Muhyiddin said he would arrange a meeting between KONI officials and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad.
He said that despite increasing support from ASEAN members, Malaysia must work more seriously to prepare its bid for the Asiad.
"We will do our best as we have planned but we must apply the right strategy and be careful with the latest developments," he said as quoted by Antara.
He added that he was confident of Malaysia's chances of winning.
Other bidders are Qatar, Syria, India, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong who will try to secure the votes of the 43 members of the Olympics Council of Asia (OCA).
Muhyiddin urged leaders of Malaysian sports organizations to lobby their colleagues in the region to support the bid. (yan)