Three athletes withdraw from Asian Games team<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Taekwondo Association's
\npreparations for the 13th Asian Games received a knock yesterday
\nas three female athletes decided to withdraw from the national
\ntraining center for the event.<\/p>\n
The association's general secretary, Djarkasih Hamid, said
\nflyweight Yolandini, lightweight Popy Tresnawati and bantamweight
\nUmi Alifah had quit the training center in Ragunan, South Jakarta
\napparently citing school commitments.<\/p>\n
\"I haven't heard any other reasons except that they want to
\nconcentrate on their studies. Of course we have no right to ask
\nthem to stay if they don't want to,\" Djarkasih said.<\/p>\n
He dismissed speculation that internal conflicts had caused
\nthe trio to quit.<\/p>\n
The three athletes, all from West Java, are university
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
Djarkasih said he had not reported the unprecedented
\nwithdrawal to the National Sports Council.<\/p>\n
He said the departure of the three athletes would affect
\nIndonesia's medal-winning chances in the December Games, which
\nwill offer 14 golds in the South Korean martial art competition.<\/p>\n
They have just returned from the Asian Championships in
\nVietnam, where Umi took a bronze medal. She won a gold in the
\n19th Southeast Asian Games here in October last year by beating
\ntough opponent Usa Sinlapajarn of Thailand in the final.<\/p>\n
Djarkasih said the national taekwondo body had expected the
\ntrio to bring home medals from the Bangkok Asian Games due to
\ntheir fast-improving performances.<\/p>\n
The withdrawal may also force the association to make changes
\nto its line-up for the Asian Games. It had recommended that the
\nsports council name 15 athletes, six of them female, for the
\nAsiad.<\/p>\n
Djarkasih said finding late replacements looked impossible
\nbecause it would be very difficult to make the new recruits fit
\nenough in just a few months.<\/p>\n
The national training center for the Asiad started in February
\nand will end in October.<\/p>\n
Djarkasih said the chances of his athletes now triumphing in
\nthe quadrennial event were slim because the remaining athletes
\nwere not in the same league as the three that withdrew.<\/p>\n
In the Asian Games, Indonesia will face strong opposition from
\nSouth Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-athletes-withdraw-from-asian-games-team-1447893297",
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