Flying in the face of the strained relations between their two countries, Australians and Indians converged on Buperta Park in Cibubur
on Saturday in a spirit of sporting goodwill.
National Day in Australia and India falls on Jan. 26, and competitors came together for a festival of sport organized by the Jakarta Bintangs Australian Football Club. Events included a Twenty20 cricket match between Australian and Indian sides, a netball competition and two Australian
Rules football matches.
The highlight of the day came when Harry Jenkins, the speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, announced the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII) would provide 30,000 Australian dollars for the Bintangs’ Australian Football Development Program.
“Thanks to the great support from AII, the Jakarta Bintangs will be able to continue its Australian Football development
work by visiting hundreds of schools and exposing thousands of students to the game,” Australian Youth Ambassador Daniel Delaney said.
Other dignitaries attending Saturday’s festivities included the Australian and Indian ambassadors. In addition to presenting awards to Indonesian
players and giving a speech, Jenkins found time for a kickabout with local children.
“Australia’s love for and great aptitude in sport means it is an important provider of sports-related services, and this is best demonstrated in community junior sports programs such as the Jakarta Bintangs Australian Football Development Program,” Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said in a statement.
The first of the day’s two Australian Rules matches saw the Setiabudi Dockers overcome the
Jakarta Raya Cats in a matchup of two top junior
teams.
In the second match, the Bintangs defeated a Jakarta Bulldogs squad comprised largely of players from the British International School 13.14 (92) to 4.11 (35). Ageless wonder Marzio Da Re had the highlight of the match with an acrobatic, overhead goal.
The third annual Twenty20 match between an Australian XI and an Indian XI started the day. Disciplined batting saw the Indian side amass 116 runs before being bowled out in 18 overs.
Misguided aggression saw the Australians lose their first three wickets for just 22 runs. Tully Matthews arrested the slide as he scored 34 runs, though, and Stephen Yates and Dick Slaney put on a 30-run partnership.
Tim Watson was on strike as the Australians closed in, needing two runs in the final two balls. He came through in the clutch, lofting a shot over the long-off boundary to secure victory.
Last Modified on 18/11/2010 16:34