Support grows for new Games venue

Support grows for new Games venue

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the National Sports Council, Wismoyo
Arismunandar, has joined the mounting chorus of support to hold
the next National Games outside Jakarta.

Wismoyo told reporters, after watching the men's hockey final
on Thursday, that the time had come to give other provinces a
chance to host the quadrennial event for the sake of national
sport's development.

"Boredom is not the reason to move the Games away from here.
Staging such a big sporting meet in other provinces is necessary
to encourage a fairer distribution of sport's development in this
country." Wismoyo said.

Wismoyo was referring to Jakarta's long domination of national
sport, and the teams from Java winning the lion's share of medals
at the Games.

Wismoyo, a former Army chief of staff who was elected as the
national sports chief early last year, suggested Surabaya, the
country's second largest city, as the best candidate to host the
Games.

The decision on which city is to host of the Games lies with
the sports council, but only after consultation with the
President.

The government has turned down all plans to move the Games
from the capital city in the next 15 years, saying that to move
the Games would distract it from its poverty alleviation program.

The first six National Games were held in different cities: in
Surakarta in Central Java, then Jakarta, then Medan in North
Sumatra, then Makasar (now Ujungpandang) in South Sulawesi, then
Bandung in West Java and then Surabaya in East Java.

Support to move the Games away from Jakarta has also been
given by sports observers and House members. Mangombar Ferdinand
Siregar, a noted sports observer, said the Games needed
refreshing after staying here for 23 years.

Another observer, Sumohadi Marsis, said that maintaining
Jakarta as the host of the Games was a setback, noting that the
original purpose of the Games was to improve sporting
performances and facilities in provinces other than Jakarta.

Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, who was named chairman of
the Games organizing committee for a second successive term, said
that the Games were expensive for Jakarta, and he welcomed the
idea of passing the baton to other provinces.

This year's Games cost the city Rp 11 billion (US$4.7
million). (amd)