Indonesia eyes top four in 2019 SEA Games, trims medal target

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, November 14, 2019
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JAKARTA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has set a target of finishing in the top four during the forthcoming 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines, and has also reduced its gold medal target.

Indonesia's Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said on Thursday that the ministry had brought down the number of expected gold medals from 54 to 45.

"It is because we will not play in Indonesia or Jakarta, so technical problems or unexpected occurrences could happen," Minister Zainudin explained.

The figures, he said, still exceeded the 38 golds scooped by the country's athletes at the 2017 SEA Games.

A total of 873 Indonesian athletes will compete in this summer's games, according to the minister, who reaffirmed that Indonesian athletes will take part in 51 of the 56 sports to be staged at the games.

Secretary of Indonesia's Youth and Sports Ministry Gatot S. Dewa Broto noted that the country's target of finishing fourth was still better than the fifth position Indonesia finished in during the 2017 SEA Games.

To reach the target, he added, Indonesia will focus on events in which the country has a strong chance of winning gold medals, including badminton, rowing, and Indonesia's traditional martial art of pencak silat.

About 9,840 athletes from 11 nations are expected to take part in the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, which will run from November 30 to December 11. Enditem

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