Beach Games monument unveiled

The Jakarta Post

The Asian Beach Games committee unveiled a monument at Lumintang park in Denpasar on Wednesday.

Rita Subowo, chairwoman of the National Sports Council (KONI), said the unveiling of the monument marked the beginning of the country's preparations to host the first Asian Beach Games, which will take place in October 2008.

"This event will be the biggest beach and water sports competition in the world," Subowo said.

Designed to resemble the ocean waves, the colorful monument is a bit awkward in the city center, at the former site of the Badung administration office on Jl. Gatot Subroto.

The office was burned down during the 1998 riots.

The park will be re-named after Indonesia's first president Sukarno.

"Ideally, the monument should be built in a beach area like Sanur, Kuta, Nusa Dua. But we could not find the right place," said the head of KONI's Bali branch.

The seven-meter tall monument, which cost around Rp 800 million, was designed by local architects and artists using bold colors and traditional Balinese designs.