18 gymnasts chosen for SEA Games squad

JAKARTA (JP): Eighteen gymnasts have been named for the 19th SEA Games squad, the Indonesian Gymnastics Association announced yesterday.

Afrina Siahaan, Novi Kartianasari, Sherly Novitasarie, Nurfiana Achmadi, Ellyningsih, Helda Sulistina and Dewi Prahara are in the women's artistic gymnastics squad.

Jonathan Mangiring Sianturi, Sepri Haryadi, Lulu Manurung, Khairuddin Pasaribu, Zahari, Harun Fauzi Rangkuti and Abdul Razak are in the men's artistic gymnastics squad.

Yulianti, Wini Sari Triyansyahti, Nita Mardiana and Neli Astuti are in the rhythmic gymnastics squad.

Andy Darussalam Tabusala, the head gymnastics coach, said a final team of 15 athletes -- six male and six female athletes for artistic events and three women for rhythmic events - would be selected in August.

Indonesia, which only won two golds, one silver and four bronzes in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, hopes to do much better at the Games here in October.

The association has hired five Russians to coach the squad. Yuri Kouznetsov, Irina Voino, Eleonora Larissa and Alexander Guskov are already training the squad, and choreography coach Galina Komleva is expected to arrive next month.

Andy said Afrina, Novi, Sepri and Lulu would go to Moscow on May 5 to train at the Dinamo club. They will return by the end of August.

Jonathan will join his teammates in Moscow a month before the Universiade in Sicily, Italy, in August. Jonathan and Khairuddin are to compete at the Universiade.

Yulianti and Wini are expected to train in Bulgaria.

Andy said, "The reason for this is that there are more rhythmic gymnastics competitions in Bulgaria than in Russia. This was suggested by the Russian coaches. Besides, Thailand and Malaysia also send their athletes to Bulgaria. It's our chance to see their training program."

Ellyningsih, Sherly, Nurfiana and Helda are to compete at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia, from May 10 to May 17.

Synthetic

On the Games hockey venue, three foreign companies -- Desso Sportylux of the Netherlands, Balsam Pacific of Germany and the Astro Turf of the United States -- have submitted proposals to build the synthetic field at the Senayan sports complex.

Arie Sudewo, deputy of the National Sports Council, said the council would name the winner of the tender next week.

"Today, the council, the consortium, the competition affairs of the SEA Games OC (organizing committee), the organizers' facilities affairs and the Indonesian Hockey Association are discussing the details of each proposal. We will name the winner, hopefully, next week," he said yesterday.

Construction of the field is expected to start early in May and end by mid August.

"There are three considerations; firstly, it must be cheap, secondly, it must meet the international standard quality and finally, it must be finished on time," Arie said.

Arie said he hoped that the national team would have almost six weeks to practice on the new field.

"Its better they can practice for a little while than not at all," he said. (yan)