19 track and field athletes go to Australia
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)