Tarung derajat to be proposed for inclusion in SEA Games<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
State Minister of Youth and Sport Affairs Adhyaksa Dault has
\npromised to push for the inclusion of homegrown martial art
\ntarung derajat in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, an official
\nsaid on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"The minister vowed to support and simultaneously campaign for
\ntarung derajat to be put into competition at the SEA Games, and
\nwe will work as quickly as possible to send coaches to countries
\nthat don't have the sport yet,\" secretary-general of Tarung
\nDerajat Sports Family (Kodrat) Hermansyah was quoted as saying by
\nAntara news service.<\/p>\n
Hermansyah said the sport was growing in popularity in
\nMalaysia and Brunei Darussalam, and the association had contacted
\nseveral other countries, including Thailand, the Philippines and
\nSingapore, about establishing tarung derajat associations.<\/p>\n
\"We are awaiting their response, and hopefully it (the plan)
\nwill be realized in 2006,\" Hermansyah said.<\/p>\n
Tarung derajat -- a martial art similar to kick boxing with
\nfull body contact -- was established 33 years ago by GH Achmad
\nDradjat in Bandung, West Java. It was recognized by the National
\nSports Council in 1997 and became a medal sport at the 2004
\nNational Games in Palembang.<\/p>\n
Hermansyah was speaking at the announcement of the national
\nchampionships, to be held from Dec. 16-Dec. 19 in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He was accompanied by Kodrat's main coach Badai Meganegara,
\nwho is the son of the sport's founder and the head of the
\norganizing committee for the nationals.<\/p>\n
Badai, who has coached in Malaysia and Brunei, said
\npopularizing the sport outside the country required a joint focus
\non the development and training of athletes.<\/p>\n
He noted the sport's popularity at home, with 247 athletes
\nfrom 19 provinces competing in the nationals. Athletes will
\ncompete in the men's and women's free and artistic categories.<\/p>\n
In June, Badai told Kompas daily that Jakarta would be the hub
\nof development efforts for the sport, and added he had refused
\noffers to reside in Malaysia to coach \"...because I don't want
\nthe Malaysians to get better than us\".<\/p>\n
Pencak silat, the nation's other martial art, has become
\npopular in other parts of Asia and around the world. Vietnam,
\nwhose program is handled by Indonesian coaches, now dominates the
\nsport.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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