Bodybuilding officials shrug off ABBF ban<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Palembang<\/p>\n
Bodybuilding officials and coaches have challenged the Asian
\nBodybuilding Federation (ABBF)'s decision to ban Indonesian
\nbodybuilders now competing in the National Games (PON) from
\ninternational tournaments for two years.<\/p>\n
Considering that international participation was an unlikely
\nprospect for his proteges in the foreseeable future, Yoso
\nHendrayanto, the West Java bodybuilding team's coach, said the
\nABBF ban would have little effect.<\/p>\n
\"We don't care about the sanction imposed by the ABBF. The
\nimportant thing is that the athletes can still compete in
\ncompetitions at the national level. For our athletes, competing
\nat the international level is still only a dream so that the ban
\nwon't affect them,\" Yoso told The Jakarta Post at the team's base
\nhere on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
An official from the Indonesian Bodybuilding Federation (IBF),
\nwhich is the ABBF's new Indonesian counterpart following the
\nexpulsion of the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and
\nBodybuilding Association (PABBSI) from the ABBF last year for
\nparticipating in an unrecognized competition, had earlier
\nannounced that the 40 bodybuilders participating in PON had been
\nbanned from international tournaments for two years.<\/p>\n
The ban was handed down after PABBSI was allowed to become
\ninvolved in the organization of the PON bodybuilding competition,
\na move that enraged the ABBF.<\/p>\n
Following PABBSI's expulsion, the ABBF has now endorsed the
\nnewly established IBF as its Indonesian affiliate.<\/p>\n
In a similar message of apparent defiance of the ABBF ban,
\nAtok Suhartanto of Yogyakarta said that the PON bodybuilding
\ncompetition was being held in accordance with the national
\nprogram to develop bodybuilding in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"I believe it is only fair that at the national level we
\nshould continue with the bodybuilding competition,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta has two bodybuilders competing in PON: Yudhistira,
\nwho will compete in the +85kg division and Rahman Widodo in the
\n70kg division, while West Java has four contenders -- Ade Iman
\n(60kg), Edeng Sambas (70kg), Heri Hermawan (75kg) and Dodi
\nLasmana (+85).<\/p>\n
The National Sports Council (KONI)'s indecisive and unclear
\npolicy in dealing with the issue may have helped spur the
\nimposition of the ban.<\/p>\n
KONI had previously promised to bar PABBSI from taking charge
\nof the bodybuilding competition in response to the ABBF threat,
\nbut then failed to fulfill its promise.<\/p>\n
The ABBF's ban will affect Indonesia's participation in
\nSoutheast Asian (SEA) Games and Asian Games.<\/p>\n
The PON bodybuilding competition will be staged at the Novotel
\nHotel starting on Sunday. Eight gold medals will be on offer.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bodybuilding-officials-shrug-off-abbf-ban-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}