Martial artists relax to focus on matches<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Busan, South Korea<\/p>\n
While keeping their eyes open to the possibility that host South
\nKorea will do anything to win gold medals, Indonesian martial
\nartists say they are ready to give their best although they will
\nhave to wait for a long time before they can perform in the 14th
\nAsian Games.<\/p>\n
They arrived in South Korea's southern port city with
\nIndonesia's main batch of Asiad athletes on Sept. 23.<\/p>\n
Interviewed separately by The Jakarta Post on Monday, the team
\nmanagers of karate, tae kwon do and wushu said their athletes
\nphysical and mental readiness was not something to worry about as
\nthey faced other problems which posed a more pressing threat --
\nthe host factor: South Korea's ambition to end second after
\ndominant China in the medal tally.<\/p>\n
Wushu team manager Ahmad Yani Syaiful said officials from
\nSoutheast Asian countries had agreed to a consensus that priority
\nwould be given to their native athletes in the scoring judgment.<\/p>\n
\"We have to do this because it seems that South Korea will do
\neverything to grab as many gold medals as possible,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tae kwon do manager Fadly Potu said irregularities could occur
\nespecially if the overall medal tally race between South Korea
\nand Japan was close.<\/p>\n
\"Tae kwon do is a martial arts originating from South Korea.
\nIt has become a symbol of national pride.<\/p>\n
\"They of course cannot lose their domination before their home
\ncrowd. It will be a disgrace for them.<\/p>\n
\"Not to mention that there are several countries asking for
\nmedal rationing. Qatar, for example, will surely win a gold medal
\nor two,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Qatar will host the Doha 2006 Asiad.<\/p>\n
Besides anticipating the possible irregularities, the team
\nmanagers emphasized the importance of having a low-key, relaxing
\nday in the middle of their training sessions in the Athletes'
\nVillage.<\/p>\n
\"Our karatekas also have their own times of leisure at the
\nvillage as there are so many facilities to be used free of
\ncharge,\" karate manager Tono Soe'oed said.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Yani said although there were a lot of recreational
\nfacilities in the village, the whole team would go out
\nsightseeing in the city \"to enhance their concentration\".<\/p>\n
Fadly echoed Tono's statement, saying that it was not
\nnecessary to go out sightseeing downtown because the Athletes'
\nVillage had everything the tae kwon doins needed.<\/p>\n
Karate begins on Friday and Saturday at the Yangsan College
\ngymnasium in the neighboring city of Yangsan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indonesian tae kwon doins will compete from
\nThursday until Sunday at Gudeok Gymnasium in the Gudeok Sports
\nComplex. The wushu athletes have the same schedule as the tae
\nkwon doins in Dongseo University's Minseok Sports Center.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's karateka, tae kwon do and wushu athletes are among
\nmedal hopefuls in martial arts sports after total failure
\nsuffered by the boxers and judo exponents.<\/p>\n
Boxer Bonyx Saweho was defeated by Mekhrodj Umarov of
\nTajikistan in the men's 48-kilogram light flyweight division.
\nBara Gomies was defeated in the 71-kilogram light middleweight
\ndivision by Suriya Prasathinphimai of Thailand.<\/p>\n
Women's judoka Endang Sri Lestari, Indonesia's only judoka in
\nthe 14th Asiad, failed to win a medal in the women's 57-kilogram
\nweightclass.<\/p>",
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