The Indonesian contingent’s Chef de Mission for the SEA Games, Ferry J. Kono, has assured that he will strive to prevent women’s shot put from being canceled from the 31st edition of the multi-sport event.
The SEA Games organizing committee has decided to cancel three competitions for failing to meet the required number of participants.
Two of them are from the athletic sports branch, namely women’s shot put and men’s hammer throw, which are only seeing participation from two nations.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, Kono emphasized that the holding of the women’s shot put event is currently being discussed with the organizing committee and there is a possibility that it will not be canceled.
“Within the SEAGF (SEA Games Federation) regulation, women’s shot put can be played if there are three athletes. However, the technical handbook listed three nations,” he explained.
“Within the DRM (Delegation Registration Meeting) yesterday, there are three athletes from two nations, namely Thailand and Indonesia, for women’s shot put. Hence, this is still in the discussion stage,” he added.
He said that currently, he is doing the best he can through diplomacy efforts with the SEAGF and the Vietnam Olympics Committee so that the women’s shot put event can be held.
“The Indonesian Olympics Committee is still striving because thus far, us and Thailand have not yet received the official letter,” Kono informed.
The committee has asked that the women’s shot put event be held because, as per the regulations, there are three athletes who have trained for the event and are ready to compete, he added.
Hence, for the sake of sportsmanship, this event must be held, he said.
He further said that he is also working with the Executive Board of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PB PASI) on this effort.
So far, PB PASI has communicated with the continental athletics federation regarding the issue and asked the Vietnam National Athletics Federation to continue to deploy athletes for the women’s shot put event.
“We will make every effort so that the women’s shot (put) event can be held and our athlete, Eki, can perform in Vietnam,” Kono said.
Indonesia has prepared Eki Erawati Febri for the women’s shot put event. She set a national record at the 2017 National Championship with a throw of 15.60 m.
She also bagged the gold medal at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and a silver at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines.
Source: Antara News