Indonesia is set to host the most action-packed Southeast Asian Games in history next year after the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) said it would propose that as many as 577 events from 43 sports be staged.
Indonesia is scheduled to host the biennial Games in Palembang, South Sumatra, and Jakarta on Nov. 11-20.
It aims to finish top of the medal table for the first time since 1997, the year it last hosted the event.
The SEA Games Federation Council will assess KOI’s proposal early next month in Bali before making a decision on which events will be held.
If the council approves all the proposed events, then this year’s Games will eclipse the current record of 490 events in 43 sports set by Jakarta in 1997.
In the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, there were only 372 events from 28 sports.
Rita Subowo, the KOI chairwoman, said most of the events proposed were ones in which Indonesia stood a good chance of winning gold.
“Most of the events we are proposing offer the prospect of a gold medal for us. It is important to help us meet our target to win the overall title,” Rita said on Friday.
“However, we won’t be proposing more than that because we don’t want to inflate our budget.”
Bridge, paragliding and roller-skating, the Vietnamese martial art of vovinam and wall-climbing are also likely to make their SEA Games debut, while cricket will be played as an exhibition event.
To limit the number of athletes, Abdul Rauf, secretary of the Indonesian SEA Games Organizing Committee, said a quota would be imposed on every event. He said the details of the quota would be discussed at a later date.
Rauf added that all but six of the venues in Palembang were ready to be used.
“We’ll talk with the firms constructing those six venues to get them to speed up the work in order to meet the June deadline."
This 26th SEA Games is going to be the SEA Games of contact sports. Of the 43 Sports, you have Wrestling, Judo,Karate, Taekwando, Penchak Silat , Kenpo, Judo, Vovinam. Fencing, Boxing. The Tarung Derajat will be a demonstration sport.To top it all bridge and Chess are now in as a Sport.
ReplyDeleteI do not know who are behind the SEA Games Federation, but certainly this is such a big joke that I am just waiting for snake & ladder to be included also.
under martial arts why can't they just lump the whole thing under one category and a centralise them under one rules. You have seen the Karate Katas and the Taekwando Ponsee, now we have Vovinam and kenpo making its debut and Tarung Derajat. Before you know it the Philippines Arnis also want to have a place under the SEA Games sun.
Come on just because of winning medals the host country are insisting of including these sports.
SEA Games unfortunately is no longer a draw and please take note by my count there are 11 contact sport event of the 43 , it is almost one quarter of the sports.
This is nonsense and OCM what have you to say about it?
Chairwoman Rita Subowo's remarks that KOI selected the 577 events in 43 sports based on Indonesia's ability to secure gold medals in them, does not speak too highly of an IOC member. Anyway, I hope Malaysia does not get caught in this mad rush for gold medals at SEA Games level. Let us stick to our long term plans for securing our first Olmpic gold medal
ReplyDeleteand our plans for the development of Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games sports. We know that the MSN, ISN, KBS and the
National Sports Associations are working together on this. We hope the OCM too will commit to this positively rather than cakap-cakap.
I think the SEA Games Federation people are all from their respective NOC. What Sporting Sam pointed out is true, winning medals is the name of the Games not sportsmanship.
ReplyDeleteWhat anon say is quite true 11 contact sports including the Tajung Derajat, if it goes to Thailand I suppose Muay Thai will be part of the sports.
In this case I think OCM are the culprit for not speaking out, I feel they have to explain to the public why can't they get all these contact sport under one banner.
Get serious, Karate, Taekwando, Muay Thai, Penchak silat, Kenpo , Vovinam and Wushu. Why can't you chaps agree to a common rule, after all the object is to defeat the other opponent. Then you chaps fight it out in your weight category and the best represent the country.
It is so boring to watch the Taekwando and Karate and Penchak Silat all wrap in body and head armour and try and fight to defeat your opponent and you call it sport.