Rupiah plunge hits gymnastics body's programs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The rupiah's collapse continued to take a toll
\non sports organizations yesterday with the Indonesian Gymnastics
\nAssociation announcing it was to send home one of its two
\nremaining Russian coaches.<\/p>\n
The association's technical commission chairman, Sudjihadi,
\ntold reporters after meeting with the National Sports Council's
\nAsiad task force that the association could now only hire one of
\nits foreign coaches.<\/p>\n
\"The association will only keep Irina Voino to coach the
\nrhythmic event. Alexander Guskov will return to Russia on Jan. 15
\ndue to the rupiah's downturn,\" said Sudjihadi, adding that each
\ncoach received US$3,100 a month.<\/p>\n
Three other Russian coaches Iouri Kouznetsov, Eleonora Larissa
\nand Galina Komleva, returned home late last year, after the 19th
\nSEA Games here in October.<\/p>\n
\"Frankly, we really need the foreign coaches to boost our
\ngymnasts' spirit in practice. We'll monitor the association's
\nfinancial condition. If it gets better, we might be able to
\nrehire the coaches,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudjihadi said that the association has been grooming Jonathan
\nMangiring Sianturi in the men's artistic and Yulianti in the
\nrhythmic events for the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December.<\/p>\n
Jonathan won five golds in the SEA Games from the vault, high
\nbar, rings, floor exercise and all-around individual event. He
\nalso won gold in the team competition. Yulianti won a gold in the
\nteam competition.<\/p>\n
\"We've been grooming all our gymnasts (about two dozen) in a
\nlong-term training program since the SEA Games. The association
\nplans to send Yulianti on an overseas training stint to Bulgaria
\nfor three months prior to the Asiad.<\/p>\n
\"But we have to ask Jonathan if he wants to have an overseas
\ntryout because he declined to have one during the SEA Games
\npreparation,\" Sudjihadi said.<\/p>\n
\"Jonathan has a great chance to win a medal at the Asiad but
\nthe women's artistic gymnasts are too young and they will face
\ntough rivals from China, Japan and South Korea. That's why the
\nassociation is only sending two gymnasts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The association will fully finance the training program.<\/p>\n
Yachting<\/p>\n
Separately, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Yachting
\nand Surfing Association, Raymond Kotambunan, said the council
\nasked the association only to prepare windsurfers and not
\nyachtsmen for the Asiad.<\/p>\n
The association plans to field athletes in the men's
\nheavyweight inco, the men's lightweight inco, the men's
\nheavyweight race board, the men's lightweight race board and the
\nwomen's inco.<\/p>\n
\"We have a great chance to win the gold in the men's inco
\nheavyweight from Oka Sulaksana. But Abdul Malik Faizal (the men's
\nheavyweight race board) and Yuni Trisnawati (the women's inco)
\nalso have chances to win medals although they have to face tough
\nrivals from China,\" Raymond said.<\/p>\n
In the 19th SEA Games, Indonesia won three golds, two silvers
\nand one bronze from yachting.<\/p>\n
The association is grooming 13 athletes but the council will
\nonly finance five of them.<\/p>\n
Raymond said the association was facing financial problems
\nover staging its long-term training, which would start next
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
\"We need to have tryouts abroad because we don't have domestic
\ncompetitions. We also need foreign coaches to boost our athletes'
\nskills. But due to the monetary situation, I think the
\nassociation cannot afford to pay a foreign coach, who usually
\nreceives $1,000 a week,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, the association is still optimistic that both private
\nsector companies and the Jakarta administration will sponsor the
\ntraining. (yan)<\/p>",
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