PRSI to provide scholarships for swimmers

PRSI to provide scholarships for swimmers

JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Indonesian Swimming Federation
(PRSI) Rahardi Ramelan vowed on Friday to provide scholarships
for talented swimmers wishing to pursue higher education in the
United States and Australia.

He said the education system in both countries allowed
swimmers to maintain their careers while studying.

He said he would seek sponsorships from local companies to pay
for the students' studies, in exchange for use of the firms'
logos on their sports clothes.

He said the scholarships would be based on need.

"If they want to be successful in the pool and in their
studies, they have to go this way. But I will have to find
sponsorships. Hopefully, there will be companies who are
interested in giving scholarships to the swimmers," he said after
announcing the new PRSI officials for 2000 to 2003.

Young swimmers have traditionally faced difficulties in
choosing between their studies and swimming. Most high schools
and universities here do not include sports training in their
education system, and many talented swimmers have given up the
sport to concentrate on their studies.

Rahardi, who was reelected to a second term as PRSI chairman
last December, said the federation succeeded in grooming swimmer
Richard Sam Bera to be a national and regional standout and
financed his studies in political science and economics at
Arizona State University through his graduation in 1997.

Twin brothers Albert Christiadi and Felix Christiadi Sutanto
were not so lucky. They were forced to quit their studies at
Golden West College, Huntington Beach, California, due to the
monetary crisis in 1998.

Commenting on the new organizational structure, Rahardi said
he wanted to focus on developing junior swimmers instead of
spending money to train veterans to go for top honors in many
competitions.

"We have spent about 80 percent of our resources to groom
senior swimmers so they can scoop as many golds as they can in
every competition. As a consequence, we don't have second
stringers. There are the third stringers but they are still
developing."

Lineup

He has retained Lisa F. Siregar in charge of competition and
appointed former secretary-general Patuan Parluhutan Simatupang
for athlete development. Patuan's post was handed over to
Abdurrahim, who will be assisted by Dadeng Kurnia.

Rahardi, former minister of trade and industry, also formed a
special board on commercial, media and promotional activities,
which is headed by Patuan. Former national swimmers Elfira R.
Nasution and Lukman Niode were appointed secretary and commercial
director respectively, while Gusti Ayu Made Sadrini will now take
on double duties as the media and promotion director and the
federation's public relations officer.

Rahardi said seven swimmers -- Richard, Albert, Felix, Wisnu
Wardhana, Elsa Manora Nasution, M. Akbar Nasution and Siripiya
Sutanto -- would attend the World Cup meets in Berlin from Feb. 5
to Feb. 6 and Paris from Feb. 12 to Feb. 13.

They are being used as warm-up events for the 2000 Olympic
Games. Except for Siripiya, the swimmers have qualified for the
Olympics.

They, along with 15 other swimmers, four divers and four
synchronized swimmers, will take part in the Asian Swimming
Championship in Pusan, South Korea, from March 29 to April 2.

"Our swimmers and divers who have not qualified for the
Olympics must reach the top five for the individual event and the
top three in the team event," Patuan said. (ivy)