KONI to focus on long-term development programs<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Learning from its failures over the last two seasons, the
\nNational Sports Council (KONI) has come up with a plan that
\nfocuses more on long-term sporting achievement rather than the
\nupcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.<\/p>\n
"We will not let ourselves become preoccupied with the target
\nof becoming number one (in Southeast Asia). The recent congress
\nhas recommended that the next SEA Games be taken as part of long-
\nterm sports development up to the following Asian Games and
\nOlympics," Djoko Pramono, KONI's director of athletic
\ndevelopment, told reporters here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The SEA Games will be hosted by Vietnam in Hanoi in December.<\/p>\n
At the previous two games, Brunei Darussalam 1999 and Kuala
\nLumpur 2001, Indonesia, which had dominated the event since 1977,
\nfinished an unprecedentedly poor third behind Thailand and
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
"We will not be talking about targets. What matters most will
\nbe how we can win as many medals as possible," Djoko explained.<\/p>\n
He said the scheme would entail concentrating more on up-and-
\ncoming young athletes with potential and less on athletes who had
\nperhaps passed their primes.<\/p>\n
"So, even if an athlete has the prospect of winning a gold in
\nVietnam but will become uncompetitive shortly afterwards because
\nof age, he should not be included in the squad.<\/p>\n
"They may triumph in the SEA Games, but when it comes to a
\nhigher level of competition, such as the Asian Games or Olympics,
\nthey will quickly wilt. So let's start to think about long-term
\ngain," he said.<\/p>\n
According to Djoko, KONI plans to compete in 26 out of 32
\nsports. A tentative training center plan has been drawn up, with
\ntraining to be divided into two phases.<\/p>\n
During the first phase, the athletes will participate in a
\ntwo-month workout organized by their respective sports
\norganizations while the second four-month phase will be fully
\nadministered by KONI.<\/p>\n
"KONI will provide some of the financial support needed during
\nthe first phase. The second phase will be fully the
\nresponsibility of KONI," Djoko said.<\/p>\n
Less than two weeks after taking up his post, Djoko, who
\nguided the Indonesian contingent at the Jakarta SEA Games in
\n1997, has begun to step up the pace ahead of the games.<\/p>\n
He said he had discussed the training plan with sports
\nofficials in charge of swimming, karate, wushu, boxing and
\nwrestling on Monday.<\/p>\n
"As a new guy at the helm, we have to identify what we have
\nfor the games before drawing up another plan. We have to identify
\nour strengths as early as possible," he said, while adding that
\nhe was racing against time as the SEA Games were only seven
\nmonths away.<\/p>",
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