National athletics body expects second chance for Desi<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) will give
\nhigh jumper Ni Putu Desi Margawati another chance to make the
\nteam for the 2002 Asian Games, according to a top official.<\/p>\n
Desi was among the three athletes PASI was training for the
\ntrip to Busan, South Korea, the site of the Asian Games. But a
\nstring of poor performances prompted the National Sports Council
\n(KONI) to drop Desi from their plans.<\/p>\n
This followed the exit of sprinter Irene Joseph, who was
\nforced to abandon her dream of making the Asiad because of
\ninjury.<\/p>\n
These departures left PASI with only one athlete for the Asian
\nGames, Yurita Ariani, who will compete in the hammer throw.<\/p>\n
However, the association appears to have softened its stance
\non Desi, and will welcome her back to the training camp if she
\ncan improve on her recent showings at next week's National Track
\nand Field Championship here, according to PASI's secretary
\ngeneral Tigor.<\/p>\n
\"She still has a chance to go to the Asian Games provided that
\nshe can jump over four meters at the next national meet,\" Tigor
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"If she fares as well as expected we will propose to KONI that
\nthey consider giving her a second chance,\" Tigor said.<\/p>\n
More than 350 athletes from 22 provinces have confirmed their
\nparticipation in the national meet, which will feature 44 events.
\nEight provinces have yet to send notice about whether they will
\nbe sending athletes to the event.<\/p>\n
PASI, according to Tigor, is also waiting for KONI's
\nendorsement on its proposal to include Gede Karangasem in its
\ntraining camp, in light of his results in overseas competitions.<\/p>\n
The West Java-based marathoner finished fifth at the Asian
\nChampionship in Hong Kong in February, and finished 17th out of
\n4,000 runners at the Gold Coast half-marathon earlier this month.<\/p>\n
\"We made the proposal to KONI a few months ago. It's still
\nmonitoring him,\" Tigor said, adding that two tentative overseas
\noutings had been scheduled for the national squad prior to their
\ndeparture to Busan.<\/p>\n
Tigor also said that Yurita had shown some improvement of
\nlate, pointing to her performance at a local tournament last
\nmonth where she set the national record with a throw of 53.67
\nmeters.<\/p>\n
Although she only threw 50.23 meters at the Taiwan Open the
\nfollowing month, Tigor said he was confident she could reach 55
\nmeters within the next few months, which would give her a
\nreasonable hope of winning the bronze at the Asian Games.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-athletics-body-expects-second-chance-for-desi-1447893297",
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