Sydney-bound athletes urged to skip PON

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mahadi Sinambela urged sports organizations' provincial chapters on Tuesday to allow their athletes to give the 15th National Games (PON) a miss to focus on the Sydney Olympics.

He said the chapters must prioritize national interests in the quadrennial international event over PON, which will be held in Surabaya in June.

Sinambela spoke after the National Sports Council (KONI) issued a notification letter to sports organizations, saying they would be held responsible for any injuries to athletes qualified for the Olympics which were sustained during PON.

"The chapters must consider avoidance of injuries which might be incurred by athletes competing in PON. We have to prioritize national interests and the chapter must not think of merely collecting medals in PON," he said after meeting with representatives of the Indonesian cycling community.

"Earning PON medals will be useless for some chapters, including West Java, Central Java and East Java, if their athletes fail to win Olympics medals due to injury. I hope sports organizations will act wisely and not become selfish," he said.

Fourteen Indonesians have qualified for the Olympics: five in men's swimming, three in women's weightlifting and one each in women's 100m track, women's archery, women's swimming, women's diving, women's tae kwon do competition and men's windsurfing.

The total does not include Indonesia's traditional stronghold of badminton, which will continue Olympic qualification until April 30, 2000. The Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) is hoping 24 shuttlers will qualify.

Sports organizations are gearing up for the Olympic centralized training program, which will begin on Feb. 21 at the latest. They will decide which athletes will be sent to compete in the Olympics based on their training progress reports.

Sinambela said he would invite sports organizations to discuss competition priorities if they insisted that their athletes take part in PON.

He said he did not want to put pressure on athletes by setting medal targets for the Olympics.

"I don't expect much from athletes in the Olympics. But I think we have a slight chance in the men's doubles event in badminton."

Sinambela said his office received President Abdurrahman Wahid's approval of its request for financial assistance for the Olympic training program.

"KONI asked for Rp 7 billion (US$985,915) from the government for the training and transportation. We submitted the request to the President and he recommended that we request it from Minister of Finance Bambang Sudibyo. I hope he will respond soon."

Sinambela said PON's organizers also requested Rp 10 billion in financial aid.

"I think that the state does not have much money right now, because Rp 10 billion is worth much more today than it was 10 years ago." (ivy)