Training to go on as planned despite campaign

JAKARTA (JP): The national training program at the Senayan sports complex for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August must not be interrupted by party campaigns which will kickoff on Wednesday.

National Sports Council (KONI) Secretary General Rudolf S. Warouw, said on Monday athletes, coaches and officials should persist with the program during the 16 days of the campaign.

"Everyone involved in the training program should maintain responsibility in achieving success in the program. So they should be clever enough to adjust themselves to the forthcoming situation," he said.

He reiterated that sports bodies only have three months of training before athletes and officials leave for Brunei in early August.

KONI will send 448 athletes to Brunei out of the 549 currently attending the training program.

The SEA Games, which will be hosted by Brunei Darussalam for the first time, will be held from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15 and will offer 235 gold medals in 21 sports.

Indonesia will compete in 20 sports: badminton, basketball, billiards and snooker, bowling, boxing, cycling, golf, hockey, karate, pencak silat martial arts, sepak takraw, shooting, soccer, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, track and field and traditional boat racing.

Indonesia aims to retain its overall title in the Games after winning the title back from Thailand at the 1997 Games here.

Separately, Gelora Senayan Chief of Operational Affairs M. Sarengat said the Gelora Senayan Management Board would prioritize the sports complex for training and competition rather than for campaigning.

"We prioritize the venues here for sport but we do not close the possibility of allowing political parties to use them because I have never received a formal letter saying that Gelora Senayan sport venues are prohibited for a campaign," he said.

He said sports bodies wishing to stage events at the venue should notify the board beforehand and submit their schedule. (ivy)