Pitchers head for China<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Amateur Baseball and Softball
\nFederation is training its three female pitchers and two female
\ncatchers in China in preparation for the 19th SEA Games.<\/p>\n
The association's head of softball development, Doedie
\nGambiro, said yesterday pitchers Pingkan, Mutiara and Nessy and
\ncatchers Teti and Sukayani would leave for Kun Ming, China, this
\nmorning for a six-week training stint.<\/p>\n
\"We want to improve our batting and pitching,\" he said.<\/p>\n
China's coach Li Min Kwan, who took China to a silver in the
\nlast Olympics, will observe the Indonesian athletes during the
\noverseas stint.<\/p>\n
Li went to Bandung in February, where the national women's is
\nbeing groomed, to give a 10-day course. He is scheduled to return
\nevery two months.<\/p>\n
Doedie said technical adviser John Lowes of New Zealand would
\nobserve the men's team training at the Senayan softball diamond.<\/p>\n
Unlike Li, Lowes will stay in Indonesia until the Games, which
\nwill be held from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19.<\/p>\n
Doedie said both women's and men's teams would take part in
\nthe Arafura Games in Darwin, Northern Territory of Australia from
\nMay 10 to May 17.<\/p>\n
Nine countries will take part in the men's event and eight
\ncountries will participate in the women's event at the Games.<\/p>\n
\"None of the SEA Games participating countries take part in
\nthe Arafura Games except us. Maybe they will all play in the
\nThailand Open next month in Bangkok,\" Doedie said.<\/p>\n
The association will send coaches to observe the other
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
In September, the national men's and women's teams will leave
\nfor Perth, Australia, for a two-week training stint.<\/p>\n
\"We'll have friendly matches with local clubs as a final
\npreparation for the SEA Games,\" Doedie said.<\/p>\n
The federation is gunning for two golds in the biennial event.<\/p>\n
Doedie denied the possibility that men's softball would not be
\npart of future SEA Games.<\/p>\n
\"There's no plan to remove softball from the SEA Games. I only
\nknow that the Asian Games fields baseball instead of men's
\nsoftball,\" he said. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pitchers-head-for-china-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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