JAKARTA - Indonesia Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (INASOC) president Rita Subowo dropped by the SEA Games media center in Senayan, Jakarta yesterday. A volunteer at the media center arranged an exclusive interview for me with Ms. Subowo, where I asked her about the Games. Excerpts:
On some of the problems encountered by INASOC
In the beginning, we had a lot of problems, a lot of difficulties regarding the venues, regarding the equipment and everything. Like in the Philippines, you organized before in 2005 in five different places. I can imagine how difficult your logistics were. Here, there are only two places (Jakarta and Palembang) but we still have problems with transportation and accommodations. But it was only in the first one or two days. Afterwards, everything was good.
All of this was because of the support of your country and other Southeast Asian countries. We had a technical delegates meeting before. We had consul meetings before. And during those meetings, we always inform all the countries what will be the problems in Jakarta in terms of transportation, accommodations and venues, because we have no other village in Jakarta. In Palembang, lack of hotels for VIPs, for example.
The logistics from Jakarta to Palembang, you have to be careful, otherwise your luggage will only stay in Jakarta or your luggage will go to Palembang or something. So all the other countries were informed.
Then two weeks before the opening, we invited the ambassadors from the other countries. Once again, we informed them what will be the problems. But so far, so good. We really keep an eye on the media, the press centers. In Jakarta, it's okay because it's in the middle of the city. But in Palembang, access to food stores or other places is difficult. So maybe that's the main problem the first two days. But now it's okay.
On a story in the Jakarta Post about having to walk to and from the venues since cars are not allowed past a certain point
I got a lot of complaints also regarding that. Because of the ecosystem, cars are not allowed to get in. Even I have to walk sometimes. Also, I saw on TV yesterday that the bicycles that were supposed to be for the media, they have all disappeared. I don't know where. (laughs). It's easier for the media to go out with the bikes. We learned a lot from these SEA Games.
On future events Indonesia will host
Maybe Indonesia will organize the next 22 years from now, but we will organize the next National Olympics and also the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2013.
On the support of the Indonesian public for the Games
We are so happy that all the schools send their students over to the Games to learn. For students, it's very important. They send almost 300 students to each venue. And not only the students, also the community, the public. They not only cheer our teams, but other countries too.
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