Indonesian 'wushu' team eyes 6 SEA Games golds<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's wushu team is eying six gold medals
\nin the forthcoming SEA Games here, according to one of the
\nsport's officials.<\/p>\n
Supandi Kusuma, a wushu trainer said in Medan that he was
\noptimistic of achieving the target after observing the athletes'
\nsuccess in a number of international events in 1995 and 1996.<\/p>\n
\"The target of six golds at the Jakarta Games was also set by
\nthe Indonesian Sports Council. Eighteen golds are on offer in
\nwushu and we hope the remaining 12 golds will be distributed
\nbetween Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines,\" Antara quoted
\nSupandi as saying Thursday.<\/p>\n
Supandi also said that among the countries participating in
\nthe wushu matches at the Games this October, Thailand is
\nIndonesia's biggest rival. \"We hope no medals will be won by
\nThailand in wushu.\"<\/p>\n
For the coming Games, Supandi said the country's top five
\nwushu athletes, all from North Sumatra, are among those selected
\nto train in Jakarta. They are Jainab, Jelita, Juwita, Juliana and
\nJamoga Sidabutar.<\/p>\n
Jainab grabbed a silver at the world wushu championships in
\nBaltimore, U.S.A. Sixty countries took part in the championship.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 15 of the 25 wushu athletes called to attend the
\nGames training in Surabaya, East Java, have not shown up yet.<\/p>\n
Suryadi Saputra, the wushu team manager for the SEA Games,
\nsaid in Surabaya that Wednesday was the deadline for the athletes
\nto attend the training.<\/p>\n
\"We received a report that the 15 athletes did not show up for
\ntraining because they are still busy at school. We have asked the
\nsports council for a dispensation for the athletes to skip school
\nso they can attend the training,\" Suryadi said.<\/p>\n
Suryadi added that no sanctions will be imposed against the 15
\nwushu athletes who had not attended. \"It was the council who
\nasked the athletes to attend the training and not the Indonesian
\nWushu Association. We will consult with the council as to what
\naction has to be taken against these athletes.\"<\/p>\n
Taekwondo<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Taekwando Association will not send its players
\noverseas as part of their training but instead will bring in
\nforeign teams to compete with the local taekwandoins.<\/p>\n
Association official Rusid Faisal Siregar said the association
\nis planning to bring in a team of South Korean taekwondoins to
\nfight local athletes in May.<\/p>\n
\"Through matches either with foreign taekwondoins or local
\nathletes, we can evaluate the strength of our athletes who are
\npreparing for the SEA Games,\" Rusid said.<\/p>\n
Rusid said that only 27 of the 32 taekwondoins selected to
\nattend training in Cilodong, Bogor, have turned up. The training
\nbegan last month under Korean coach Oh Il-nam. Oh is being
\nassisted by two national coaches, Zulkifli and Dasantio Pribadi.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the number of taekwondo gold medals being
\ntargeted by Indonesia at the SEA Games, Rusid said the
\nassociation expected the athletes to win more than five. (lnt)<\/p>",
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