Training to go on as planned despite campaign

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)