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Jakarta Post

Games wrap up two days ahead of official schedule

Confusion has swirled around the schedule of the 6th ASEAN Para Games in Surakarta, Central Java, as the Games will wrap up on Tuesday, two days ahead of the official closing date on Thursday

Agnes Winarti and Kusumasari Ayuningtyas (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta, Surakarta, Central Java
Tue, December 20, 2011

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Games wrap up two days ahead of official schedule

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onfusion has swirled around the schedule of the 6th ASEAN Para Games in Surakarta, Central Java, as the Games will wrap up on Tuesday, two days ahead of the official closing date on Thursday.

Indonesian ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committee (INASPOC) secretary-general Arsyad Achmadin confirmed that the ASEAN Para Games would end on Tuesday instead of Thursday.

“We intentionally added two days to the schedule. There’s no specific reason for doing so though,” Arsyad told The Jakarta Post on Monday. He also said that INASPOC had since the beginning planned the closing for Dec. 20. Coordinating People’s Welfare Minister Agung Laksono will lead the 7 p.m. closing ceremony at Manahan Stadium in Surakarta.

Despite the organizers’ claim of “no change in schedule”, the Surakarta administration head of culture and tourism agency Widdi Srihanto, who was in charge of the Para Games opening and closing ceremonies, only learned of Tuesday’s closing ceremony on Monday afternoon.

Widdi was not the only clueless person as Indonesian swimming team head coach Rachyuanto was also only informed of the closing schedule on Monday.

“It was announced just now about tomorrow’s closing ceremony. If from the beginning the event was scheduled to end on Dec. 20, then why is Dec. 12 to 22 written on all the Para Games banners? The organizers should have stuck to the schedule publicly announced,” said Rachyuanto.

“With this change we must question, what will happen to the funds allocated to last until Dec. 22? But then again, I guess this sort of thing is normal in Indonesia.”

Rachyuanto’s swimming squad made it through as the overall champions in the pool, by winning a total of 35 gold, 22 silver and 18 bronze medals, which slightly exceeds its toughest competitors Thailand, which collected 33 gold, 33 silver and 18 bronze medals. Vietnam came in third with 22 gold, 20 silver and eight bronze.

Table tennis and bowling were the last competitions on Monday evening.

In the overall medal tally as reported by Antara, Indonesia is clinging to second place with an overall 113 gold, 106 silver and 89 bronze medals. Thailand is leading the standings with 123 gold, 96 silver and 78 bronze, while Malaysia is coming third with 50 gold, 34 silver and 42 bronze medals.

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