19 track and field athletes go to Australia

JAKARTA (JP): Nineteen track and field athletes and seven officials left Indonesia on Monday to train in Sydney, Australia, for a month. Two more athletes will depart for Australia on Feb. 20.

The SEA Games track and field training director Tigor M Tanjung told The Jakarta Post that the 19 athletes had passed fitness and medical tests in December.

The training stint aims to boost the athlete's competitive spirit and condition them for competitions.

"Their condition in practice and competition are different. They need to adapt to pressure during competition to motivate their fighting spirit," he said.

All the athletes must enter at least two competitions in Australia. They are expected to equal their performances in the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

They will compete in the Victorian Open and under-20 track and field championships, the New South Wales Open and under-20 championships, the Australian Open and under-20 combined events, the Australian Capitol Territory track and field championships, and the Optus Australian Open and under-20 championships.

Three athletes are scheduled to take part in the Australian Short Road Walks Championships if they do not compete in the National Championship for Race Walk in Zhuhai, China.

The athletes being sent to Australia have been undergoing the centralized training program at Senayan Madya Stadium. The 21 athletes are among the 33 sportsmen and women training at the center.

The Australian stint was not our final purpose, Tigor said.

Although some athletes are being groomed in Australia and Houston, the United States, they will not automatically qualify for the national squad.

"Their final physical and mental condition will decide who deserves to join the team," he said.

The association plans to send athletes to the Arafura Games in May and the Universiade in August for final preparations.

The athletes on the Australian tour are M Asyik, Nunuk Apriati, Vera Igogue, Johny Thenu, Ester Sumah, Supriyanti, Rumini Sudragni, Agus Reza Irawan, Sugeng Jatmiko, Ismael Sroyer, Hendiarsin Oslan, Gaos Maturidi, Ni Ketut Mudiani, M Rusli, Kikin Ruhudin, Yousan Lekahena, Wisnu Nugroho, Nunung Jayadi and Ong Kok Hin. (yan)