12 gymnasts to vie for team slots

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A one-day trial will be held next week to select two male and three female gymnasts to join the squad training for the Southeast Asia (SEA) Games in the Philippines later this year.

Based on a letter from Indonesian Gymnastics Association (Persani) secretary-general Asep Sulaeman dated Feb. 14, four male and eight female gymnasts have been invited to the selection.

"The athletes will undergo the one-day selection on Feb. 25 to help complete the formation of the 2005 SEA Games team," association coach Djefri Mutik Butarbutar said on Thursday.

In the men's division, Zahari of East Java, Eris Rizkiawan of West Java, Rifcha Saputra of South Sulawesi and Sepri Haryadi of Lampung are scheduled to participate.

For the women, the prospective national picks are Sukma Anggraini, Astrida Nila Kusuma and Fitri of East Java; Beby Pelani of West Java, Yossy Pramitha, Putri Ayu Titisan and Nancy Putri Yulis of West Sumatra; and Dewi Mustika Marni of Riau.

Djefri said the SEA Games squad would consist of seven gymnasts from both sexes.

Currently, five male and four female gymnasts are in training for the team. Four of the men -- Ade Putra of Lampung, M. Tri Saputra of Riau, Endriadi of Jakarta and Pramu Nur Imam of East Java -- and three women -- Dewi Prahara of Riau, Nefi Nurbaiti of Jakarta, and Riri Wulandari of West Sumatra -- will leave on March 1 for Romania for a two-year training program.

The gymnasts were originally scheduled to leave in December, but their training camp programs had yet to begin.

"We have received confirmation from Romania to go ahead. Men's gymnasts will practice in Bistrita, while the women will be Onesti," Djefri said.

Male gymnast Aldi Akbar and female gymnast Afrina Siahaan, who automatically joined the SEA Games squad after winning medals in the 2003 SEA Games and golds in the 2004 National Games in Palembang, will continue training in Jakarta along with the new recruits.

The training program is focused on winning golds at the SEA Games and also the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar.