Sunda Straits race fails to lure foreign competitors
Sunda Straits race fails to lure foreign competitors
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The annual swimming and rowing competitions across the Sunda
Straits will resume after a lapse of five years, but no
foreigners are expected to participate in them.
Marines Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Harry Triono told a media
conference at the Marines' elite force (Denjaka) headquarters on
Thursday that 89 swimmers, mostly corps members, and 18 rowing
teams had qualified for the races, to be held on Oct. 29 and Oct.
30.
"I'm pessimistic that swimmers and rowers from our neighboring
countries will turn up this time around. Probably they are
worried about current political development in the country."
Harry said.
From their inception in 1991 until the competitions were
halted in 1997, foreign participants from the United States, New
Zealand, Australia and Thailand had never missed them, according
to Harry.
Indonesia experienced vociferous anti-U.S. rallies after the
superpower launched an attack on Afghanistan nearly two weeks ago
in apparent retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New
York and Washington.
The race across the Sunda Straits, which separates Java and
Sumatra, will be held in conjunction with the corps' 56th
anniversary, which fell on Oct. 18.
Harry said competitors in swimming are restricted to only 130
and in rowing to only 35 teams due to the corps' limited safety
precaution capability.
"Only those who can swim over 23 kilometers of track within 10
hours at a minimum speed of 1.5 miles per hour will be allowed to
compete," Harry said.
Participants will cover a 32.4 kilometer route from Ketapang
Port in Lampung to Merak Port in Banten. Along the way, Marines
boats will escort them at a radius of 150 meters, while two Navy
ships and a helicopter will be on standby for immediate help.
A rowing team consists of 11 crews.
The swimming race will start at 11 p.m. on Oct. 29, while the
rowing competition will be flagged off at 4 a.m. on Oct. 30.
The winning swimmer will secure Rp 10 million plus a
motorcycle, while the triumphant rowing team will share Rp 7
million in cash plus 11 VCD players.
Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Indroko Sastrowiyono will wave off
the competitors with a checkered flag. A group of Marines Corps
top brass, including Harry, will participate in the open swimming
contest for a mile.