20 heads

20 heads
note, in 2nd story hijab should be italicized and Moslem sp.
Muslim, thanks

1. LISA -- (1 x 30)

Lisa Rumbewas reveals silver lining

Nethy Dharma Somba
The Jakarta Post/Papua

Entering the Athens Games against the backdrop of her silver
victory in Sydney four years ago, Indonesia's weightlifter Lisa
Rumbewas had been tipped to repeat the feat.

And the Indonesian weightlifter rewarded her supporters by
winning a silver in Athens.

Competing in the 53-kilogram category, Lisa hoisted a total of
210 kilograms to finish second behind gold medalist Udomporn
Polsak of Thailand.

With her silver in the 48-kilogram in Sydney, Lisa's feat
touches hearts given that the 24-year-old has suffered from
epilepsy since she was a child.

She had her first epilepsy fit when she was five year old as a
result of high fever she experienced when she was only three
months old. She has had to undergo medical treatment ever since.

But her father Levi Rumbewas sees his daughter's ailment from
a different perspective.

"Lisa's ailment is not something to be afraid of nor to be
regretted because it is a part of God's plan," former national
bodybuilder Levi said in an interview with The Jakarta Post
recently.

Given her condition, Lisa has received more attention from
both her parents, particularly from her mother Ida Korwa, who has
to accompany her wherever she goes because Lisa often has an
unexpected seizure.

"Only her mother can understand Lisa's illness and know how to
handle the situation when she's having an epileptic fit," Levi
explained.

"Lisa's condition began to improve after she received
medication from St. Carolus Hospital in Jakarta. However, the
medication must be taken continuously.

"The medication has proven useful as the seizures have
stopped, although it cannot completely eliminate the problem,"
Levi said.

Lisa's dependence on her mother seems not negotiable. Herself
a former weightlifter, Ida has proven to be Lisa's best partner
in training.

Days before the Indonesian contingent's departure for Athens,
Lisa fled the training camp in protest that Ida was not in the
travel list.

She threatened to pull out of the team until her demand for
her mother to be sent along with her was fulfilled.

Lisa was born in Jayapura, the capital city of Papua province,
on Sept. 10, 1980 as the fourth of five children.

Her interest in the sport grew from accompanying her mother
during workouts.

She decided to take up the sport and began training with her
mother as her private coach.

Her first appearance in a competition was in Semarang, Central
Java, when she represented her province. She was only 12.

After winning the international youth weightlifting contest in
Jakarta in 1997, she was admitted to the national training center
for the eastern Indonesia region in South Kalimantan.

In the same year, head of the South Kalimantan chapter of the
Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding
Association (PABBSI) Dharma Surya noticed Lisa's talent in
weightlifting and recruited her as a South Kalimantan lifter.

Three years after winning a silver medal in the Olympic games
in Sydney in 2000, Lisa switched allegiance back to Papua.

The Papuans must be proud that the athlete the province has
raised accomplished a rare feat with her second Olympic silver
from Athens.

In her father's view, Lisa's success is due to her obedience
and has been able to help her siblings.

"We don't make much money as civil servants and it's Lisa who
has helped pay for her siblings education," Levi, who has now
retired from his job at the government's Information and
Communication Office in Papua.

Two of Lisa's older siblings have attended university in
Jakarta while her two other siblings are still studying at a
university also in Jakarta, all at Lisa's expense.

Lisa does not forget that whatever she achieves is God's
blessings, a faith she demonstrated in her donation of Rp 25
million (US$2,777) to a church near her home in Jayapura.

To ensure that she earns a monthly income when she retires
from weightlifting, Lisa has started various businesses in her
hometown in Jayapura, one being a telecommunication kiosk named
"Wartel Lisa"; the booths decorated with her pictures.

While her kiosk's business may give her dividends in the long
run, Lisa may be due to receive a dividend in the form of cash
bonuses from the national sports authority as well as other
sport-committed parties from her Athens performance.

2. HIJAB -- ( 2 x 21)

Rakia Al Gassra's 'hijab'
makes her star of race

Sebastian Fest
Deutche Presse-Agentur/ Athens

Clocking 11.49 seconds -- a whole second less than the world
record - in the women's 100m at the Olympic Games would normally
mean zero attention from the press.

But that was not the case for Bahraini sprinter Rakia Al
Gassra, who after running Friday momentarily became the most
sought after athlete by reporters and cameramen in Athens. The
reason: the hijab - traditional Moslem garb for women - which she
wore during the race.

"I am very happy with my time", said Al Gassra, gold medallist
at the Arab Games. She had reason to be, having just broken the
Bahrain national record, and although eliminated in her heat, she
came fifth out of eight competitors.

But few reporters were interested in her time, what they
really wanted was to hear the 21-year-old speak about her hijab.
Al Gassra, who is presented by the Bahraini Olympic Committee as
"a very conservative Arab woman" wore a white hijab which covered
her entire body showing only her face, which always sported a
smile.

"It is the basis of Islam, an Arab-Islamic tradition," she
said. "I cannot run without the hijab, I have to do everything
with it. In the Islamic religion men are not authorized to see
women without the hijab," she added.

But how many valuable microseconds are lost by running with
such a cumbersome outfit, which is not aerodynamic at all?
"No, there is no problem", she insisted. Al Gassra began
competing four years ago when she was discovered by the Bahraini
Olympic Committee talent hunting programme launched after the
2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Two women from Bahrain took part in
Sydney invited by the International Olympic Committee. This time
round athletes qualified directly.

Although she may say the hijab makes no difference to her
performance, Bahraini sports officials are looking into
alternatives.

"Without a doubt she would make better time with other gear,"
said Anne Radic, press chief of the Bahraini Olympic committee.
She added that Bahraini officials met Thursday with Nike
representatives who showed them a "swift suit" they thought might
meet the needs of Al Gassra.

Australian runner Cathy Freeman wore a swift suit when she won
the gold in the women's 400m in Sydney 2000.
The swift suit the sports manufacturer presented for Al Gassra
has problems. Radic said holes on the back and legs revealed
skin, which would not be acceptable to the sprinter. The
spokeswoman said they expected Nike to present a new design in
September and talks continued.

That a swift suit is body-hugging is another stumbling block.
"It is a difficult subject. Rakia will always discuss everything
with her family to make sure they are comfortable with what she
does," Radic said.

Al Gassra comes from a deeply religious family and Bahraini
sports authorities had to use all their skills of persuasion to
convince them to allow her to become an athlete.

At Athens she is staying at a women-only apartment, separated
from the men in the Bahraini delegation. She prays during the
day, is always covered head to foot, and reads the Koran before
going to bed.

Two other Bahraini women athletes taking part in the Athens
Games, a marathon runner and a swimmer, do not wear the hijab.
Al Gassra claims she does not feel diminished or discriminated
against by wearing the traditional attire. "Women and men are the
same in sports in Bahrain," she said, "there are no differences".

She grins and nods when asked whether she is faster than many
male sprinters in Bahrain and uses the opportunity to make a
plea.

"There should be many more women athletes from Arab countries.
What we have now is not enough," she said. Had she not worn a
hijab, Al Gassra's message might not have reached as many as it
has today.