119 RI athletes to compete in Asiad
119 RI athletes to compete in Asiad
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council announced on Tuesday
that it would send 119 athletes, 35 coaches and 39 officials, not
including the swimming and equestrian squads, to the 13th Asian
Games in Bangkok next month.
The council's athletes development deputy, Muchamad Hindarto,
told reporters that the swimming and equestrian organizations did
not show up at Tuesday's evaluation meeting.
"We'll call them tomorrow to hear their explanation for their
actions and their plans," he said after the meeting.
The national swimmers, who have been training for the Asiad,
have not met the required times, set by the council, at last
week's national interclub swimming championships.
The riders withdrew from the Asiad squad due to their bad
results in the ASEAN league series of the Volvo World Cup in
Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
This was in spite of council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar
giving them his blessing to compete. The team did not won any
medals in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima.
Hindarto, the Indonesian contingent's chef de mission, said
the 119 athletes -- 69 men and 50 women -- represented 18 sports;
archery, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, canoeing, fencing,
gymnastics, indoor volleyball, judo, karate, rowing, sepak
takraw, shooting, tae kwon do, tennis, track and field,
weightlifting and windsurfing.
Muhammad Sarengat, Hindarto's deputy, will submit the entry
form in person to the Bangkok Asian Games Organizing Committee
(BAGOC) on Nov. 5.
Indonesia is aiming to win six golds, 11 silvers and 13
bronzes from the 377 golds on offer in 36 sports. In 1996 the
team's medal haul was three golds, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes.
Two of the six golds are expected from the men's badminton
squad, in the men's doubles and men's team events.
The Badminton Association of Indonesia's athletes development
deputy, Hadi Nasri, said the country would send eight male and
eight female players. The sport offers seven golds.
The team consists of Hendrawan, Marlev Mainaky and Taufik
Hidayat in the men's singles, Ricky Subagja/Rexy Mainaky, Candra
Wijaya/Tony Gunawan in the men's doubles, Mia Audina, Meiluawati
and Cindana in the women's singles, Elysa Nathanael/Deyana Lomban
and Carmelita/Indarti Issoliana in the women's doubles and Tri
Kusharjanto/Minarti Timur and Marlev Mainaky/Meiluawati in the
mixed doubles.
"We'll focus on the men's teams from China, South Korea and
Malaysia. We have evaluated their form in the Danish Open, the
Brunei Open and the Asian Badminton Championships," Hadi said.
"In the women's singles, Mia still has a chance, moreover she
just won the Indonesia Open. In the women's doubles, we hope our
new partnership of Elysa/Deyana will reach the final," he added.
Another gold is expected from karate. Coach Willem Mantiri
said that Indonesia had a chance to win in the kumite events.
"In kata, it's almost impossible because Japan will definitely
dominate," he said.
Indonesia will field Omita Olga Ompi in the women's kata and
Abdullah Kadir in the men's kata. In the kumite events, Indonesia
will field women's karatekas Sandra Ariani (-53kgs division) and
Nilawati Daud (-60kgs) and men's athletes of Isfan Tanjung (-
55kgs), Arief Taufan (-60kgs), Novilus Yoku (-70kgs) and Umar
Syarief (+75kgs).
Boxing, in which the sports council is also hoping to
contribute one gold, will feature seven boxers. They are
Hermansen Ballo (featherweight), Damianus Jordan (flyweight),
Bara Gomies (welterweight) and Albert Papilaya (middleweight),
who have been groomed coached in Cuba since late September.
While Martin Sihombing (bantamweight), Wilpare Jamhur
(lightweight) and Willem Papilaya (welterweight) are being
trained in Jakarta. (yan)