Wrestling body targets Olympic qualification<\/p>\n
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI) is now setting its
\nsights on producing athletes competent of qualifying for the
\nOlympic Games, having already dominated the Southeast Asian
\nregion for a long time.<\/p>\n
\"It is quite possible that Indonesian wrestlers can meet the
\nhigh demands of international competition, especially the
\nOlympics,\" PGSI chairman Andi Ghalib said at the opening of the
\n23rd National Wrestling Championships at Mattoangin Stadium on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the five-day event would serve as a means of national
\nselection for the Southeast Asian Wrestling Championships to be
\nhosted by Indonesia in Jakarta next month.<\/p>\n
The national championships offer 16 gold medals in the Greco-
\nRoman and freestyle events, featuring 169 athletes from 19 of
\nPGSI's provincial chapters.<\/p>\n
Absent from the competition are wrestlers from Aceh, Bali,
\nGorontalo, Maluku, North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa
\nTenggara, Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
The event's overall winner will be awarded the coveted
\nPresident's Cup.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's program saw the Greco-Roman preliminary rounds in
\nthe 50kg, 54kg, 58kg, 63kg, 85kg, 97kg and 130kg weight
\ncategories.<\/p>\n
The freestyle events will start on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is touted as favorite for the overall title and
\ndisplace defending champion East Java. West Java and Lampung are
\nalso teams expected to mount a challenge.<\/p>\n
The Southeast Asian Wrestling Championships have been
\nreinstated in response to the sport's absence from the SEA Games
\nin Kuala Lumpur last month.<\/p>\n
\"Malaysia refused to stage wrestling at the SEA Games last
\nmonth due to fears that Indonesia would have taken all of the 16
\ngold medals,\" Ghalib said.<\/p>\n
\"Wrestlers should not be disappointed (with the sport's no-
\nshow at the SEA Games) as it was just one of the host's methods
\nof securing its dream of winning the overall title. They should
\nprove their might in the Southeast Asian championships.<\/p>\n
\"We must also keep training hard because the Hanoi 2003 SEA
\nGames will surely have wrestling back in the program,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PGSI executive director Endro Sumardjo said the
\nassociation would pay attention to security matters for the SEA
\nChampionships following the U.S. and British attacks on
\nAfghanistan.<\/p>\n
\"We will communicate all issues related to the championships,
\nalthough all nine countries have yet to file any complaints,\" he
\nwas quoted as saying by Antara news agency.<\/p>\n
\"Several countries have confirmed their participation,
\nincluding their women's wrestlers participation in exhibition
\nevents,\" he added.<\/p>",
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