Ami Afriatni

Dueling Training Camps Decide to Unite as One

The bureaucratic overlap that sowed confusion among Indonesia’s preparation for international competitions could soon be a thing of the past.

Andi Mallarangeng, the minister for youth and sports affairs, said on Thursday that the country would no longer divide its best athletes between the government’s High-Performance Program (PAL) and the national training center run by the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI).

According to Andi, the ministry and KONI will unite PAL and the national center (Pelatnas) in the future, leading to more efficiency in preparing athletes.

“No more dualism anymore between PAL and Pelatnas,” Andi told reporters after a meeting with KONI at his office on Thursday. “We want the athletes representing the country in the next events to bear one name only, Indonesia.”

PAL, established in November 2008 by former sports minister Adhyaksa Dault, was designed to assume control from KONI over athletes’ development. The move was made ahead of a busy schedule of international events, including the Southeast Asian Games in Laos.

However, concerns soon emerged regarding a disparity in the two training schemes. Athletes in Pelatnas suffered from a lack of overall funding and facilities, unlike those under the government’s program.

A new program, named Program Indonesia Emas (Golden Indonesia Program), will be established in place of PAL and Pelatnas.

Andi said the ministry and KONI proposed the new program, which will be operated by KONI, be regulated under a presidential decree in order to strengthen its legal status.

“We have agreed on all the points to be regulated under the decree. I will sign it soon and discuss it with the Coordinating Ministry for People’s Welfare before handing it to the state secretary,” he said.

“I hope it will be done soon so we can start the athletes’ preparation for the Asian Games and the 2011 SEA Game.”

In preparation for the Asian Games, which take place Nov. 12-27 in Guangzhou, China, KONI plans to call in 109 athletes to compete in 17 sports, including: athletics, archery, badminton, bowling, cycling, canoe/kayak, chess, judo, karate, rowing, swimming, taekwondo, dragon boat race, beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

Hendarman Supandji, coordinator of the Asian Games squad’s preparations, said KONI needed Rp 45 billion ($4.8 million) for its budget, including sending the athletes to warm-up competitions. The government will also take care of athletes’ transportation to and housing at the Asian Games.

Camps for the Asian Games and 2011 SEA Games are set to open in early February.

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