Pelti to invite foreign coaches<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With a sports science and technology approach to
\nimproving national coaches' skills, the Indonesian Tennis
\nAssociation (Pelti) will invite a foreign expert to hold two-
\nmonth-long coaching clinics and workshops.<\/p>\n
Association deputy secretary-general Benny Mailili said on
\nTuesday that Pelti would request either Austrian Gebhard Gritsch
\nor American Doug McCurdy.<\/p>\n
\"Gritsch was considered the successful man who brought
\nIndonesia to a clean sweep in the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA)
\nGames women's tennis events here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During a five-month stint, Gritsch coached Indonesian women's
\nplayers Wynne Prakusya, Wukirasih Sawondari, Liza Andriyani and
\nIrawati Moerid Iskandar for the SEA Games. Indonesia won three
\ngolds in the women's team, women's singles and women's doubles by
\nbeating top seeded Thailand. Thai number one Tamarine Tanasugarn,
\ncurrently world ranked 54, was outplayed by Liza in the team
\nevent and Wukirasih in the singles.<\/p>\n
Benny said Pelti's coach commission chief Atet Wijono also
\nasked McCurdy, director of development of the United States
\nTennis Association, for help.<\/p>\n
\"McCurdy asked in his letter about what kind of help we need,\"
\nhe said. He described McCurdy, a former development director of
\nthe International Tennis Federation (ITF), as a good friend of
\nAtet.<\/p>\n
Benny said Pelti would offer a monthly payment of US$5,000.<\/p>\n
\"We have prioritized Gritsch after considering his success
\nearlier.\"<\/p>\n
However, the association has lost track of Gritsch after he
\nrelocated to Hamilton, New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\"The phone number he gave us before leaving Indonesia was not
\nregistered under his name. Maybe he rented the house. We'll try
\nto track him down by calling Austria's tennis association,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Benny said the association's Rp 50 million ($5,814) to finance
\nthe program was insufficient.<\/p>\n
\"We need about Rp 150 million but we'll ask our sponsors to
\nhelp us financially.\"<\/p>\n
Benny also criticized the association's athletes development
\ndeputy, Sudjiono Timan, who requested a wild card to compete in
\nthe Indonesian Men's Future 1 qualifying round this week.<\/p>\n
\"Every host player has the right to get a wild card in a
\ntournament. But he got the facility because he could not sign in
\ndue to his duties in Singapore,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudjiono -- an assistant to State Minister of the Empowerment
\nof State Enterprises Tanri Abeng, who is also Pelti chairman --
\nis a former national junior player.<\/p>\n
\"He must understand that as an official, he should not do such
\na silly thing. A good official must boost his athletes' fighting
\nspirit, but he doesn't have to do it that way,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudjiono provoked controversy when he joined training for the
\nnational Davis Cup team before it faced the Philippines early
\nthis month. Indonesia ultimately lost to its neighbor for the
\nfirst time in 13 years. (yan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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