Indonesia Open counts as SEA Games nears<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is using this year's Indonesia Open
\nTrack and Field Championships to select prospective athletes for
\nthe 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
\"The forming of a tentative track and field team for the SEA
\nGames will be based on the results at the championships,\" said
\nSumartoyo, the organizing committee chairman.<\/p>\n
The international track and field meet, being held at the
\nnewly-renovated Senayan Madya stadium, starts today and will wind
\nup on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sumartoyo added that for provincial athletes, the meet also
\nserves as a qualifying round for the 14th National Games next
\nyear.<\/p>\n
A total of 395 athletes from all the country's 27 provinces
\nand those from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka and
\nChinese Taipei are taking part in the four-day event. Australia,
\nwhich took part in last year's meet, opted out of the tournament.<\/p>\n
Sumartoyo said that Malaysia would field its SEA Games-bound
\nathletes, Thailand would be with some of its top runners and
\nTaipei sent only its junior athletes.<\/p>\n
The open meet will feature all track and field events except
\nmarathon and 50km walk. It is offering a total of 44 gold medals.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, secretary-general of the Indonesian Track and Field
\nAssociation Pramono Kartohadiprodjo told The Jakarta Post that
\nIndonesia will send only a male and a female javelin throwers to
\nthe World Track and Field Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden
\nnext month.<\/p>\n
The two are Frans Mahuse of Irian Jaya and I Ketut Mudiani of
\nBali. Mahuse made his best throw of 75.58m in Kuala Lumpur in
\n1991. Mudiani's best throw was 44.25m, far shorter than the
\nnational record set by Tati Ratnaningsih. \"Tati will miss the
\nWorld Championships due to a dispute concerning the province to
\nwhich she belongs,\" Pramono said.<\/p>\n
Pramono said that Indonesia has chosen to take part in the
\njavelin throw instead of other events for psychological reasons.
\nTwo years ago, Indonesia sent Erwin Heru Susanto in men's 100m.<\/p>\n
\"Erwin was totally outclassed by his world-class opponents.
\nThis was not only embarrassing, it was traumatic,\" he added.<\/p>\n
\"In the javelin throw, spectators cannot directly observe the
\ndistance of your throw. Nor can they directly compare it with the
\nthrow of your counterparts,\" Pramono said. (arf)<\/p>",
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