Thais send 846 athletes to retain SEA Games title

JAKARTA (JP): Thailand will deploy 846 athletes--496 men and 350 women--in its bid to retain the overall title at the 19th SEA Games here in October.

Three countries have so far submitted their entry forms: Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines.

Thailand, which is aiming to finish fourth in next year's Asian Games in Bangkok, will participate in all 34 sports events in the biennial SEA Games, which are scheduled to run from Oct. 11 to ends on Oct. 19.

M. Hindarto, a competition official of the Games organizing committee, said yesterday that Thailand's contingent is the largest of those being fielded by the three countries which have so far submitted entry forms.

Cambodia is to take part in 15 events and will send 66 male and three female athletes.

Vietnam has confirmed its participation but has yet to submit details of its contingent.

The Philippines will participate in 32 events--sitting out for only hockey and water skiing--but has yet to reveal how many athletes will be sent.

Hindarto said that Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines had all submitted their forms on the deadline of Feb. 28.

"Some countries have asked for tolerance for two weeks," he added. "We have agree to wait until March 10."

As of yesterday, host Indonesia had yet to submit its own form.

Games organizers say they expect entry-by-name forms to have been submitted by all participating countries in September.

Hindarto, a former Jakarta police chief, said that the organizers are facing venue problems in relation to bowling and hockey.

"There are three alternatives for the bowling venue," he said. "One is Pluit Mall in North Jakarta; the second is Cilandak Plaza, South Jakarta; and the third is Ancol (North Jakarta)."

Hindarto said that both Pluit and Cilandak have newly- constructed bowling centers and that the bowling lanes in Ancol are currently undergoing a facelift and expected to finish in June.

"We're still looking for a sponsor to build a synthetic hockey field which meets international requirements. If we can't afford it, we can seek from the international field organization to stage the event on grass," he said.

The secretary-general of the Indonesian Karate-do Federation, G.A. Pesik, said he expects his team to win at least seven out of the 15 karate golds on offer.

"We have a chance to make a clean sweep. So far we have always been the overall winner in karate," he said.

Indonesia won seven karate golds, eight silvers and eight bronzes in the 1993 Games in Singapore. The sport was not contested at 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Pesik said that Indonesia's biggest karate hope is to win the women's events and kata events, in both individual or team efforts.

He said Indonesia's male karatekas will face serious challenges from Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

"It's hard for us to recapture our glorious times, such as 1987, when we won 12 out of 15 golds. Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia have hired our coaches to train their athletes," Pesik said.

The federation is grooming 54 athletes and will select 45 for the national main squad.

It will also hire a foreign coach--from either Japan or Britain--who is expected to arrive in June. (yan)