Preparing food for athletes is not easy<\/p>\n
By Fitriyanti Djoni<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Preparing food for athletes is different than
\nserving the general public. Food for sports people has to be
\nprepared according to strict standards set by both local and
\ninternational sports associations.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, problems surface because the country has 27
\nprovinces, each with its own delicacy. To meet the demand of the
\n2,000 athletes participating in the ongoing National Games for
\nnutritious and delicious food is not an easy task.<\/p>\n
Athletes from certain provinces may prefer meat dishes, but
\npeople from different regions may not go for the sweet meat
\ndishes of Java. The Sumatran sports teams may object to such a
\ndish and ask whether it is a main meal or dessert.<\/p>\n
Sulastri Aty Soepardan, manager of Nurmaya Sari Catering which
\nwas appointed to provide food for the athletes by the National
\nGames Committee, admitted that her party could not possibly
\nsatisfy the preferences of all team members from the 27
\nprovinces.<\/p>\n
\"We have to serve 2,000 athletes, which means that we have to
\nprepare 6,000 portions for three meal times per day. The kitchen
\nstaff starts every day at 2 a.m., while lunches are prepared as
\nearly as 12 noon. We really work close to 24 hours a day on a
\nshift basis,\" she said while supervising her staff, who were busy
\nserving up lunches.<\/p>\n
The Nurmaya Sari Catering service, which was also appointed to
\nprepare food for athletes during 13th National Games (PON), said
\nofficials of every provincial sports team should inform their
\nteam members that the menu is prepared according to instructions
\nfrom the Games committee.<\/p>\n
\"This food is checked by nutritionists on its nutritional
\nvalue, hygiene, quantity and quality,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Sulastri also said that the athletes do not all eat at the
\nsame time. Some of them ask for breakfast as early as 5 a.m. \"We
\nhave to serve them without complaint since some have to exercise
\nat 6 a.m. before their matches start.<\/p>\n
\"There is a sense of devotion and hope that they might be
\nsuccessful. I regard them as my own children, especially the
\nyoung ones, who easily become homesick and long for their
\nparents, and especially their mothers' cooking.\"<\/p>\n
\"We prepare the food here according to the general standards.
\nWe do not really prepare the food of one province alone. Take for
\ninstance gulai daging kalio, this is food from Padang (West
\nSumatra), but we do not use the amount of chili that province
\ndoes,\" said the youthful-looking grandmother.<\/p>\n
Sulastri likes to talk to the athletes while they eat, asking
\nthem what they think of the flavor. She especially asks those who
\nhave not been to Jakarta before.<\/p>\n
For the 14th National Sports Week, Sulastri recruited all her
\nfamily, including nieces, brothers and sisters-in-law, as well as
\n100 permanent employees and 50 part-timers. Profit is the least
\nof her concerns with her work for this year's PON.<\/p>\n
Compared to other food the company prepares, the food for the
\nathletes is not prepared to suit people's tastes. It is wholesome
\nfood, containing roughage, carbohydrates and protein. The menu
\ncontains mostly of red meat and chicken, and other various
\ningredients.<\/p>\n
\"Today we had empal (dry meat dish), tomorrow we will have
\ngulai daging bumbu pedas (spicy beef stew),\" she said
\nelaborately.<\/p>\n
Asked whether there had been any complaints about the food
\nserved, Sulastri said \"so far so good\".<\/p>\n
The ingredients are repeatedly checked for quality and
\nfreshness before preparation. If athletes were to go down with an
\nupset stomach it could affect their performance.<\/p>\n
Weight lifters, for instance, require larger servings than
\nregular athletes. The catering staff inquires discreetly about
\nwhat sports an athlete participates in.<\/p>\n
\"If athletes have complaints, they do not need to go to the
\nboard. We will come up with an alternative, as long as requests
\nare kept within the rules and within our abilities. For instance,
\nathletes and official referees who might have forgotten their
\nfood coupon do not need to fetch it from the hotel. They just
\nneed to mention which team they belong to and the problem is
\nsettled,\" she said simply.<\/p>\n
\"They are here to take up the challenging game of sports. We
\ndo not hamper them with restricting rules. As long as everything
\ngoes smoothly and they perform well, it is enough to make me feel
\nhappy,\" she added.<\/p>\n
The PON committee appointed two catering services, Nurmaya
\nSari and Champa, to serve the athletes during this sports event,
\nthe 14th PON. Nurmaya Sari catered from Sept. 7 through Sept. 14,
\nwhile Champa is catering from Sept. 15 to Sept. 20.<\/p>\n
Eddy Pranowo, an employee in the dining hall of the Serba Guna
\nbuilding, said that the athletes are usually quite polite. \"If
\nthey do have complaints, they should understand that we are only
\nfollowing rules from the board. We are doing things for their own
\ngood. If they'd prefer to eat something else, they should wait
\nuntil the PON games are over. If they come down with an upset
\nstomach after the Games it wouldn't matter so much,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bernike, a nutritionist, shared Eddy's opinion. \"We have done
\nour best to serve highly nutritious food. We hope that our
\nefforts will strengthen the spirits of our athletes, so that they
\nwill be successful,\" she said hopefully.<\/p>\n
M. Rausky, a trainer with the Maluku team, commented on how
\nnutritious and varied the food was.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite tasty. It gives me the chance to taste food from
\nother regions. The food is also nutritious and clean,\" he said
\nwhile savoring a meal.<\/p>\n
Anita, a softball player in the Central Kalimantan team, found
\nthe food fairly tasty and sufficiently varied, although she
\nadmitted she could not touch certain dishes.<\/p>\n
\"It is not about flavor. Maybe we are just not used to that
\nsort of food. Of course, we would prefer food from our region,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Parlin, a West Nusa Tenggara weight lifter, told a different
\nstory. In spite of the food's nutritional value, its cleanness
\nand variety, he said the meals for weight lifters could be
\nincreased.<\/p>\n
\"Weight lifters like me need more food than regular athletes,
\nwe must not collapse while performing,\" he explained.<\/p>\n
\"If the athletes are unhappy about the menu, they have to be
\nhonest about it. They should not gripe about it behind our backs.
\nIf the food was inferior, we food nutritionists would be the
\nfirst to know. We would be the first ones to go down with stomach
\nproblems if the food was not prepared hygienically,\" Bernike
\nsaid.<\/p>",
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