Hockey team aims for silver despite internal disputes<\/p>\n
By Ivy Susanti<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian hockey team's preparation for the
\n20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam has been
\nmarred by controversy, with bitter disputes arising over training
\npartners and venues.<\/p>\n
The controversy started when the Indonesian Hockey Association
\n(PHSI) failed to summon its 39 male and 33 female athletes to
\njoin the centralized training program early this year.<\/p>\n
Training only began in June after PHSI was repeatedly
\ncautioned by the National Sports Council (KONI), which questioned
\nwhether the association wished to perform at the biennial event
\nto be held from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.<\/p>\n
The late start had led to speculation that PHSI was incapable
\nof preparing teams for the Games due to internal conflicts
\nbetween PHSI and its Jakarta chapter.<\/p>\n
But PHSI chairman Primadi Tabrani said Indonesia would try to
\nwin the bronze medal, in a rerun of the men's team performance
\nhere two years ago.<\/p>\n
"We want our men's and women's team to finish in the top
\nthree, but we hope for a silver medal in the men's event and we
\nhope the women will match that," he said last May, prior to his
\ninauguration as PHSI chairman for the 1999 to 2003 term.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's men's team finished third behind Malaysia and
\nSingapore in 1997, with the women's team failing to finish in the
\ntop three.<\/p>\n
KONI subsequently intervened to cut the number of players to
\n18 men and 18 women, and refused to provide funds for those who
\nfailed to join the nucleus teams. PHSI officials had also
\npromised to solve its internal conflict, which has hindered
\ntraining preparations.<\/p>\n
The dispute, however, continued with PHSI claiming its team
\nwas prohibited from using the Rp 1 billion (US$147,000) synthetic
\nfield at the Senayan sports complex. It accused the Jakarta
\nchapter, which had earlier rented the field from the Gelora
\nSenayan executive directors, as responsible for the move.<\/p>\n
KONI's official in charge of athlete development Mochammad
\nHindarto said the team had not been barred from practicing on the
\nfield.<\/p>\n
"The team should arrange a schedule for using the field,
\nbecause there are some local clubs who use (it)," he said.<\/p>\n
PHSI was also under fire for refusing to stage a warm-up
\nagainst a local team, especially the Jakarta chapter, saying
\nlocal teams' technical skills were below the national team's
\nstandard. It had urged KONI to approve an overseas training
\nproposal.<\/p>\n
In early July PHSI decided to expel its women's team, because
\n12 of them had trained poorly during the preparations.<\/p>\n
PHSI failed to send its men's team to compete in the Tun Abdul
\nRazak Cup in Selangor, Malaysia, from July 9 to July 15, as it
\nfailed to meet the registration deadline.<\/p>\n
PHSI was able, however, to send the team to Malaysia on July
\n19 for tryouts with local clubs.<\/p>\n
"This is a good opportunity for our team, because we rarely
\nhave joint practice sessions. We all know that the Malaysian
\nhockey team has an international reputation," said the hockey
\nteam manager, Primadi.<\/p>\n
He said that although the national team could not beat the
\nworld-class Malaysian hockey team, it could develop a strategy to
\nbeat Singapore at the SEA Games.<\/p>\n
"If we can beat the Singaporeans, the silver medal is
\ncertainly in our hands," he said.<\/p>\n
Hockey team lineup: Melkianus Christian Mamoribo, Edwin Aldrin
\nMamoribo, Elexi, Ibrahim, Iwan Riswanto, Johannes Parera, Kana Badhi,
\nLawen, Kundan Singh, Raja, Rajesh Prettypal Singh, Ramu, Rikoh
\nRinanda Sasiang, Ronald Evans Kadiwaru, Sarbjit Singh, Surinder
\nSingh, Suyatno, Wahyudi<\/p>",
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