Jakarta succeeds both as host and as team<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta has achieved success, both in hosting
\nthe 14th National Games and in meeting its target of winning 100
\ngold medals, the city's top sports chief said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Jakarta's sports governing body, Kusnan
\nIsmukanto, however, said that despite its successful record, he
\nwas unable to say whether the capital city deserved the term
\n"successful" when it came to judging its athletes' performances.<\/p>\n
"I haven't appraised their performances yet. But I believe
\nthey have done their best. I hope more and more Jakarta athletes
\nwill receive the call-up for next year's Southeast Asian Games,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Ismukanto said Jakarta athletes were successful because of
\ntheir very strict training systems and overseas tryouts.<\/p>\n
"Months before the Games, some sports organizations asked for
\nour permission to send their athletes abroad and we fulfilled
\nsome of their requests," he said.<\/p>\n
"We let them send gymnasts to Beijing, for instance, or water
\npolo players to Hong Kong or paragliders to Spain and Australia,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Moreover, their success was also attributable to good
\ncooperation between athletes and their coaches, Ismukanto said.
\n"Prior to the Games, the athletes were already very confident and
\nI believe their successfulness will strengthen their confidence,"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
However, Ismukanto declined to talk about traditional cash
\nbonuses for the city's medal-winning athletes.<\/p>\n
Rowing<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Southeast Sulawesi gained the lion's share of the
\nmedals in the rowing competitions, which concluded Tuesday,
\nwinning nine golds, three silvers and five bronzes.<\/p>\n
Second in the medal table was Central Kalimantan with seven
\ngold medals. West Java, considered by many as an underdog team,
\nsurprisingly took five gold medals to finish third.<\/p>\n
Host Jakarta struggled to finish seventh with just one gold
\nand two silvers in the water sports.<\/p>\n
A total of 27 golds were on offer in rowing, canoeing and
\nkayaking, which were all staged at the Jatiluhur dam in
\nPurwakarta, West Java.<\/p>\n
Southeast Sulawesi's team were forced to fight to the end to
\npip arch rival Central Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
On the final day of competition the Southeast Sulawesi
\nkayaking quartet of Karim, Frans Tukas, Lampung and Kurseno,
\ndespite their seemingly relaxed manner, won the men's 500m kayak
\nfour. West Java and Central Kalimantan finished less than a meter
\nbehind.<\/p>\n
A Southeast Sulawesi's rowing official, Anwar Hamzah, erupted
\nin joy to celebrate his province's success but warned that West
\nJava could emerge as a more dangerous opponent than Central
\nKalimantan in the future.<\/p>\n
Hamzah made his comment after seeing Central Kalimantan, hot
\nfavorite in the women's kayak events, earn just one gold in its
\nmost treasured gold medal mine. (arf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jakarta-succeeds-both-as-host-and-as-team-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}