Cyclists eying first SEAG gold<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Cycling Association expects to
\nwin the women's 25km Individual Time Trial (ITT), the first gold
\nmedal at stake at 19th SEA Games here in October.<\/p>\n
Cycling training chief Didi Sudijanto, said yesterday that
\nIndonesia will rely on Yogyakarta's Nurhayati, the country's
\nleading woman rider, who won a gold in the 1993 Games in
\nSingapore and a silver in the 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand,
\nand her younger sister Nuraini, the 1995 SEA Games bronze
\nmedalist.<\/p>\n
\"We are ready to win the first SEA Games gold,\" Didi said.<\/p>\n
Nurhayati lost to Chaleam Chamchun of Thailand in 1995
\nbecause, Didi said, \"we suspected the host cheated.\"<\/p>\n
\"This year, we are optimistic that Nurhayati and Nuraini will
\nwin the gold and silver in the event,\" Didi said.<\/p>\n
The association also expects to win at least eight of the 16
\ncycling gold medals.<\/p>\n
Didi said that national cyclists will be able to make a clean
\nsweep from the mountain bike races -- men's and women's cross
\ncountry and men's and women's downhill -- which are being
\ncontested for the first time at the Games,.<\/p>\n
\"Technically our cyclists are still behind Japan, South Korea,
\nChina and Chinese Taipei but we're number one in Southeast Asia,\"
\nhe boasted.<\/p>\n
Indonesia also has high expectations in the men's sprint,
\nmen's 1,000 meter ITT, 4,000m team pursuit and the women's 3,000m
\nindividual pursuit.<\/p>\n
However, the association is optimistic that its cyclists will
\nbe win three more events - the men's 50km ITT, 170km Individual
\nRoad Race and the women's 70km Individual Road Race.<\/p>\n
Hockey<\/p>\n
In it efforts to perform better in field hockey, the
\nIndonesian Field Hockey Association has contracted two coaches
\nfrom Pakistan; Nasir Ali and Chaudary Tanwir Arsyad.<\/p>\n
They said yesterday at the hockey training center in Lampung
\nthat Indonesian athletes have improved their physical and
\ntechnical skills.<\/p>\n
Ali, who guided the Pakistan national team to two Olympic
\ngolds, said that the training center, which is located in a
\nplantation owned by the association's chairman Rajkumar Singh, is
\na suitable place for coaching athletes.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that all athletes, despite some fasting, were
\nstill practicing yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games training director Djoko Pramono, on a visit to
\nthe center, encouraged the athletes to keep up their fighting
\nspirit during practice.<\/p>\n
The national hockey team initially planned to go to Australia
\nin May and to India and Pakistan in July and August for overseas
\ntraining.<\/p>\n
But Singh said that the association has plans to sign two
\nother foreign coaches, and to cancel the plan to go abroad. (yan)<\/p>",
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