Indonesia to Lose Much Potential to Win Medals at SEA Games

Jakarta, 13 Syawal 1437/18 July 2016 (MINA) – Indonesia may lose a lot of potential to win medals in the South East Asian Games (SEA Games) in Malaysia next year because many branches it has proposed to be competed in the event have been rejected.

“Indonesia may lose 24 gold medals because a number of sport branches which are sources of medals for the country would not be competed,” the chief of the Gold Winning Program task force (Satlak Prima), Ahmad Soetjipto was quoted by Antara as saying in a statement to the media here on Sunday.

However he said “there is no need for us to deplore it but we must not adapt to it.”

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At the SEA Games Council meeting in Malaysia some time ago, Indonesia proposed 13 sport branches for competition in the event but only three have been agreed upon namely BMX, judo and muaythai.

The 13 sport branches it had proposed include cycling (MTB and BMX), judo, rowing, wrestling, baseball (Category II), bridge, muathay, kempo, dragon boat (category III), jet skiing, paragliding, sport climbing and boxer or tarung dradjat (Indonesian full body contact martial art – non-category).

Ahmad Soetjipto said Indonesia must face it rationally by preparing itself well because SEA Games now can no longer be used as a sports achievement standard.

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“SEA Games could no longer be used as a regional sport achievement standard or reference because it is full of egoism and interests of its host,” he said. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)