Sports coverage

I have been living in Jakarta for about one year and reading The Jakarta Post for the entire time. I'm glad to see the wonderful increase in advertising and the improvements in the editorial portions of the newspaper. As the major English newspaper in Indonesia, the improvements were necessary and welcomed.

I have one major area of complaint. The sports coverage is poorly directed and incomplete. Please don't think of it as editorial fill. To some people, sports coverage is important news.

There needs to be a sports editor to cover local news, someone who is responsible for input and balance. International sports news is great, but almost by definition, the news is a day old and very distant. How about a column on local sports? A positive discussion of all sports.

Interview the up and coming players, the coaches and the older, former greats, as well as the current top players. Ask their opinions on world sporting events, local events and local problems in sports. What does Benny Wijaya, the local tennis great, think of the upcoming World Doubles Championships being held in Jakarta in November. What does Susi, our badminton star, think about the just finished Asian Games. How about golf, table tennis, or football events coming up locally?

I'm sure many of your readers would like to hear about the important aspects of sports, the hard work and discipline, the personal rewards, the value of identification for everyone with sports figures. Winning is nice and important but the value of a person and a country is in the doing, not only in the winning. I hate to hear that Indonesia feels they have a problem when their athletes do not always win, even when they are seeded.

Sports, contrary to what many people believe, is not winning but in how you play the game.

Also, I read recently about the terrible turnout for local events, such as last week's Men's Tennis Challenge. I was there and the turnout was terrible. But it is partly the fault of the Post. Make the local sports organizations aware of your interest in publishing their events.

How about co-sponsoring some of the big events? What would it cost? Probably only some space and editorial focus. When an event is scheduled, tell us about it. Tell us the days, the times, the cost. Tell us who to contact for further information. Have some local expert talk about it beforehand to generate interest. Maybe a little "What's going on in Sports this week" box.

News is not just reporting what has happened, but what is about to happen. At least it is in my opinion.

CAPT. JOHN A. DEVEREAUX

Jakarta