Feature Stories

ANDI ALFIAN MALLARANGENG: "SEA Games: a forum to unite nations in the region"

Posted : 15 Nov 2011 14:54:58

Jakarta (UR): The 26th SEA Games is underway after it was officially opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a spectacular opening ceremony at Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra. Thousands of athletes from 11 Southeast Asian countries are competing for 545 gold medals.

As the host of the biggest sporting event in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is determined to be successful, not only in the competition, but also in the organization of the Games and is aiming to filter that success to the economy. Indonesia is aiming to top the final medal tally. The medal count as of Sunday sees Indonesia in the driving seat. There is still a lot to play for, but the strong start could boost the morale of Indonesia's athletes.

Strong support from local fans and the enthusiasm they show has instilled optimism among members of the contingent about successfully reviving Indonesia's sporting supremacy in the region. Taking time out of his busy schedule shuttling between venues to provide support and present medals, Indonesia's Youth and Sport Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng spoke to United & Rising about the Games.

We witnessed an extraordinary opening ceremony. What can we learn from this spectacular event?

The opening ceremony was proof that Palembang and Jakarta are ready to organize the SEA Games. I'm proud of our unity in bringing about this event, even though some people were skeptical. Indonesia is ready, no doubt about that. I hope the SEA Games can be a forum to unite all Southeast Asian nations not only in sports, but in all walks of life. Therefore I call on all athletes to uphold sportsmanship and the officials to work professionally to stage quality matches.

What do you think of Indonesia's performance as it sits at the top of the medal table?

This is amazing. We have collected 40 gold medals so far, and I hope this continue until the last day. Let's join the race to collect gold medals for Indonesia. I hope our success thus far will inspire other Indonesian athletes. Athletes from other countries should do the same. Let's work together for the good of our country. Indonesia has not finished at the top of the medal table in the Games since 1997.

Are you optimistic that we will now be the overall winner?

We are the biggest country in ASEAN. It's time for us to stand up again in sports. Our performance has been poor since the economic crisis in 1998. We even once plunged to fifth place at the SEA Games but we were able to rise again. In 2007, we finished fourth and third in 2009. Now we have jumped to first. It's important to be optimistic.

Is it a realistic for Indonesia to win 150 gold medals to be the overall winner?

The total number of gold medals projected to be won by individual teams in the Indonesian contingent is only 100. The targets are the decision of officials in each individual sport. They evaluate their athletes and then set targets. If we can get 150, we will become the overall winner. I feel it's alright if we miss the target, as long as the total goes up.

If Indonesia becomes the overall winner, what is the next target?

What about the 2012 Olympic Games and 2014 Asian Games? Sports events are staged all the time. This year, it's the SEA Games, next year we will take part in the Olympics, and there is also PON (National Sports Week). In 2013, there will be the Islamic Solidarity Games, then the Asian Games in 2014 in Korea. This is one continuous process. So youth development programs must be good. The public reception and support of the Games has been good as some arenas are packed.

Is this due to the promotion of the Games?

The promotion should be better. In Palembang, the public is very enthusiastic. Everybody wanted to see the opening ceremony but we had limited seats. The Indonesian athletes are ready, so the public must support them.

What was the reason for staging the Games in two cities?

This is a very important international event. It should become a platform for the revival of sports in Indonesia. It is also a good chance for us to build major sporting facilities outside of Java, which was never done in the Suharto era. So the SEA Games came to Palembang. We could have taken the easy way out and staged the entire thin in Jakarta, but there's no challenge there. What we did was build a new sports complex similar to Senayan, but more modern. Therefore we hope that the achievement by Indonesian athletes at the SEA Games improves. It will become a platform for the revival of sports in Indonesia.

What was the level of the government's support for the SEA Games?

Most of the money for the Games came from the government and sponsors. The government allocated money from the 2010 and 2011 state budgets to the tune of between Rp 2 trillion to Rp 3 trillion. The rest was from sponsors. For example, the money for the opening ceremony came from sponsors, not the government.