"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, said 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."
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.
"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.
He said however that actions have to be taken immediately to adjust to the decision because the two-yearly event would take place soon, adding it would be better for the target this time to be set for the SEA Games 2018.
Satlak Prima which is under the ministry of sports has even asked the government to only send athletes who have the potential to win medals to the event.
"It is no problem if the Indonesian contingent would become smaller so long as the winning rate is high. It would be better for us to put our focus more on Asian Games 2018," he said.
Ahmad Soetjipto called on all sport branches that have no opportunity to collect medals from the event could accept the situation as investment for achievement would be focused on those that have chances to win medals.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
