Sea Games: Indonesia chooses Komodo dragon as mascot

INDONESIA, host of the 26th Sea Games, has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the Games, which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang on Nov 11-25.

The Indonesia Sea Games Organising Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by the Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare giant lizards.

Modo and Modi were unveiled on Monday night at a function in Jakarta to mark the 200-day countdown to the Games.

The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara.
On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolise the power and grandeur of Indonesia.

Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977 (when it first competed) and 1997.

The nation failed to top the medal charts only twice in that period -- in Bangkok in 1985 and in Chiang Mai in 1995, losing out to Thailand on both occasions.

However, Indonesia has not topped the medals chart since winning the Games in 1997 in Jakarta. -- Bernama

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