The rout in Brunei
Although there are two more days and a handful of gold medals to go before the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games wind up in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, it is safe to assume that Indonesia has lost its claim as the preeminent sporting power in the region. Indonesia, which really should have held on to the title simply based on the sheer size of its population relative to other countries in the region, will be lucky to even finish second in the Games' medal tally. Thailand has made an extremely strong showing in Brunei, taking the most gold medals, and Malaysia has also been impressive in taking the second most medals as of Friday night.
Two years ago Indonesia basked in glory as it ran away with the championship at the SEA Games staged in Jakarta. This year, Indonesia has not only been beaten black-and-blue by Thailand and Malaysia, but has also been foiled by smaller countries dashing its hopes for gold. The rout is complete considering Indonesian athletes fared particularly poorly in the track and field and swimming events, both considered the major Olympic sports. Indonesia has also disappointed in pencak silat, the martial art Indonesia has long claimed as its own, and the prestigious soccer event, going down in the semifinals at the hands of Vietnam.
Besides being a major source of national pride, the biennial Games have traditionally been a springboard for our athletes to the international sporting arena. Going by the poor showing of most of our athletes, this will not be the case this year. Most of the athletes had better forget about the 2000 Sydney Olympics, which is rather unfortunate since it will be years before the world's biggest sporting event is again staged anywhere near our home soil. Because of the proximity, Sydney would have been an ideal opportunity for Indonesia to showcase the nation's excellence in sports.
Being the largest country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia should also take the lion's share of the blame for fielding second- string athletes in a number of events, or, in some cases, for not fielding any athletes at all. This disappointing level of participation has diminished the value and prestige of the Games.
Organizers have already lowered qualifying requirements in a number of events in order to attract more participants, but some sports were still forced to go ahead with only two or three contestants. Besides being a show of disrespect to host Brunei, this attitude endangers the future of the Games, raising questions about the commitment of countries in the region to the event. This could also discourage other small countries from hosting the Games in the future.
As we lick our wounds after the rout in Brunei, there must be an official inquiry into the reasons for this utter failure. Heads must also roll after what must be considered a major national embarrassment. We cannot recall ever hearing our sports officials warn about possible stiff competition from Thailand and Malaysia, or any other countries for that matter, in Brunei. Considering that most of our sports associations are managed by top military officials, this says a lot about their ineptitude in intelligence and strategic planning, besides the poor training and discipline of their athletes. It is just as well that our country is not at war with any of our neighbors.
The rout in Brunei cannot be good for our national confidence, which has been battered by endless political and economic crises these last two years. Winning in Brunei would have restored some of that lost confidence and national pride, and certainly would have taken away some of the pain the people here have had to endure because of the crises. Brunei could have erased the somber mood the country has been in over the past few months. Instead, it has only made us feel more miserable.
It would not be fair to lay the blame entirely on the athletes. Sports officials and the government must be held accountable for neglecting sports in times of crisis. We have all been taught that sports and fitness are important aspects of our lives and that a sound body ensures a sound mind. We have also been told a sick body leads to a sick mind. Applying this principle to the nation, we can attribute the people's current sick state of mind to their neglect of sports.