With this obsession, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had ordered the related institutions to set up a sports school at the newly-built Jakabaring sports complex in South Sumatra province where the 26th SEA Games took place last November.
The president issued the order when inaugurating the Jakabaring sports complex in Palembang, South Sumatra, last November 11, 2011.
On the occasion, Yudhoyono also hoped that the school would produce sports professionals, ranging from athletes, coaches to referees.
"Let`s form it in the not-too-distant future to produce sports professionals," he said, adding that he had discussed the idea of forming such sports school with Education Minister M Nuh, Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng and South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.
The head of state also expressed hope the 325-hectare sports complex which was used to host the 26th SEA Games on November 11-22 would serve as an education and training facility to improve Indonesian athletes` ability.
Yudhoyono further said the sports complex which was the largest in Southeast Asia was a luxury area equipped with facilities of international standard and was not inferior to those of other countries.
"I myself have often seen sports facilities in other countries. We can say many facilities at the Jakabaring sports complex are of international standard. This all indicates the seriousness of both the central and regional governments," he said.
There are several sports arenas in the Jakabaring complex among others the stadiums for soccer, track and field and tennis.
During the 26th SEA Games, more than 6,000 athletes and officials from 11 countries took part in the competitions and Indonesia emerged as the overall champion as it had won the largest number of medals at all the three levels: 182 golds, 151 silvers and 143 bronzes.
However, the Indonesian soccer team failed to a grab gold medal after being defeated by the Malaysian team 3-4 (1-1) in the competition`s finals extra time on Monday night (Nov 21).
In the 1997 Sea Games, Indonesia also topped the medal tally. At the time, however, the country`s team also failed to win the soccer final competition and Thailand grabbed the gold medal after beating Indonesia 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
In the 26th SEA Games medal tally, Thailand was ranked second with 109 golds, 100 silvers and 120 bronzes.
In third place was Vietnam with 96 golds, 92 silvers and 100 bronzes.
Malaysia was ranked fourth with 59 golds, 50 silvers and 81 bronzes. However, the neighboring country`s soccer team
grabbed the gold medal by defeating host Indonesia 5-4 (1-1) in the final round that took place at Jakarta`s Bung Karno main sports stadium on Monday night (Nov 21).
Singapore was in fifth place with 42 golds, 45 silvers and 73 bronzes. The Philippines was number six with 36 golds, 56 silvers and 77 bronzes.
Myanmar was seventh with 16 golds, 27 silvers and 37 bronzes. Laos was the eighth with 9 golds, 12 silvers and 36 bronzes.
Cambodia was ninth with 4 golds, 11 silvers and 24 bronzes. medals. Timor Leste tenth with 1 gold, 1 silver and 6 bronzes and Brunei Darussalam eleventh with 4 silvers and 7 bronzes.
It would, of course, be even more prestigious if Indonesia could also emerge as the overall champion of the 27th SEA Games in Myanmar.
The 26th SEA Games was participated in by thousands of athletes from 11 countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Timor Leste, Vietnam and Indonesia as the host.
Indonesia has several times hosted the Sea Games, namely the 10th Sea Games in 1979, the 15th Sea Games in 1987 and the 19th Sea Games in 1997.
In the meantime, head of the South Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian National Sport Committee (KONI), Muddai Madang said that provincial athletes grouped in the High Performance program will be accommodated at the Jakabaring sports complex in January 2012.
According to Madang, hundreds of local athletes will be placed at the Jakabaring complex for a training program in the face of the 28th National Sports Week (PON) games which will take place in Riau province in 2012.
"If they are accommodated in the Jakabaring sports complex, the athletes and coaches are expected to be able to concentrate to prepare themselves for the upcoming PON," he said, adding that South Sumatra was committed to making the Jakabaring international standard facilities useful to step up the achievements of the athletes.
The secretary of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI), Zulfaini M Ropi, suggested that the Jakabaring sports complex be maintained in the same way as the Senayan sports stadium in Jakarta.
Pursuant to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s call to establish a good sports school at the newly-built Jakabaring sport complex, the related ministers. namely Education Minister M Nuh, Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng as well as the South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin are now expected to begin taking the steps necessary to realize the President`s order. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
