KONI told to learn from setback<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday urged the National
\nSports Council (KONI) to undertake a self-examination following
\nIndonesia's below-target showing in the Atlanta Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman
\nquoted Soeharto as suggesting yesterday that the sports council
\nfind out the causes of the modest outcome and draw up viable
\nplans to ensure the country does better in the 2000 Olympics in
\nSydney.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, fielding a 41-strong Olympic team figuring in 11
\nsports, finished 41st in the Atlanta medal table, with one gold,
\none silver and two bronze medals. All came from badminton, the
\ncountry's most popular sport.<\/p>\n
Four years ago in Barcelona, it was placed 24th with two
\ngolds, two silvers and one bronze, also from badminton.<\/p>\n
\"I'm sorry about the national team's failure to maintain its
\n1992 performance,\" Hayono said.<\/p>\n
The president was also concerned about the badminton flop in
\nthe Olympics, saying that such a feat was an anticlimax after
\nIndonesia's double victory in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup in May,
\naccording to Hayono.<\/p>\n
\"We should have been done better,\" Hayono quoted Soeharto as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's lone gold medal this year came from its men's
\ndoubles team of Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, the silver from
\nwomen's singles Mia Audina and the bronzes from badminton queen
\nSusi Susanti and another men's pair of Denny Kantono and Antonius
\nIrianto.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the presidential rap over KONI's knuckles, noted
\nsports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar suggested that
\nIndonesia should rely on just three sports in the upcoming
\nOlympics.<\/p>\n
\"Based on the results from Atlanta, three potential medal
\nwinners for the next Olympics are badminton, boxing and
\nweightlifting,\" the former KONI secretary-general told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the president had asked the council to send
\nonly potential medal winners from four sports: badminton,
\narchery, boxing and tennis.<\/p>\n
Badminton<\/p>\n
Siregar first opted to focus on badminton, the country's best
\nhope in the Olympics, saying that the Badminton Association of
\nIndonesia should start scouting new talent in the men's and
\nwomen's singles, women's and mixed doubles.<\/p>\n
Siregar, the former training director of the association, said
\nthat except for Mia, Indonesia has no more women's shuttlers of
\nan equivalent standard.<\/p>\n
\"The association has to select young women shuttlers, aged
\naround 18, to be trained at the association's base camp. For
\nmen's shuttlers, we need some 21-year-olds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
As for boxing, Siregar said that national fighters need more
\nrigorous physical training sessions. \"Our boxers lack physical
\nfitness,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also stressed the importance of providing the boxers with
\nas many try-outs as possible. Indonesian boxers had competed in
\nonly two tournaments in Cuba in the run up to Atlanta.<\/p>\n
Siregar predicted that weightlifting could carry Indonesia's
\ntorch in the next Olympics. \"Since the 1972 Munich Olympics,
\nIndonesian lifters always managed to finish among top 12. It's a
\ngood achievement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The sports observer criticized the Indonesian archery team
\nwhich dropped its plan to take part in overseas tournaments prior
\nto the Olympics, but said that it deserves another chance to line
\nup in the national Olympic team. (arf\/yan)<\/p>",
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