Anton and Ismu to warm up in Indocement Cup open
Anton and Ismu to warm up in Indocement Cup open
JAKARTA (JP): Men's table tennis players Anton Suseno and Ismu
Harinto stayed low profile on their outside chance to win the
fourth Indocement Cup open table tennis tournament. Instead, they
promised to fight the country's best players prior to the Olympic
Games in Sydney in September.
"We are warming up in the tournament before the Olympics. We
are not hunting the prize money," Anton said after attending the
tournament's inauguration at Gedung Olahraga II in Pertamina
complex in Simpruk, South Jakarta, on Thursday.
Anton, representing NHI club, will pair Ismu, a member of Gani
Artha club, in the men's doubles event.
"We will try to improve our teamwork here. I used to play
defensively while Ismu is an offensive player," he added.
Anton is the only Southeast Asian player to qualify for the
Olympic men's singles after finishing 15th in the Asian
Championships in Hong Kong in March, which also served as an
Olympic qualifying round.
Anton and Ismu finished eighth in the men's doubles, while
China Taipei and Vietnam were in sixth and seventh place.
The newly-installed chairman of the Indonesian Table Tennis
Association (PTMSI) Triyanto Saudin officially opened the
tournament which offers a total of Rp 51.7 million (US$5,800)
prize money.
In his opening speech, Triyanto said winners of the tournament
would be invited to join the training program for the Southeast
Asian Table Tennis Association (SEATA) tournament in Kuala Lumpur
from Sept. 3 to Sept. 6.
"The training program will be held for one month, starting
after the end of the Indocement Cup," he said, adding that Anton
and Ismu would not take part in the preparation as they would
have flown to Sydney early in September.
Triyanto, however, failed to mention the number of athletes to
be invited and the selection procedure.
Favorite men's teams Surya B and Surya C of Kediri, East Java,
kicked off well in the qualifying round Thursday despite the
absence of defending champion Surya A, which comprises the club's
key players.
Surya B and C claimed a 3-0 victories over Robopong and Tunas
Utama respectively.
Host Tiga Roda B, second runner up in 1997, lost to HCIYS
Surabaya 1-3 while Tiga Roda C defeated Kosaka Tasik 3-0 in the
men's team event.
Women's team Surya C also managed to beat Gotong Royong team
3-0, while Surya B will begin their match on Friday. Tiga Roda
managed to beat Perhutani 3-2. (ivy)
JAKARTA (JP): Men's table tennis players Anton Suseno and Ismu
Harinto stayed low profile on their outside chance to win the
fourth Indocement Cup open table tennis tournament. Instead, they
promised to fight the country's best players prior to the Olympic
Games in Sydney in September.
"We are warming up in the tournament before the Olympics. We
are not hunting the prize money," Anton said after attending the
tournament's inauguration at Gedung Olahraga II in Pertamina
complex in Simpruk, South Jakarta, on Thursday.
Anton, representing NHI club, will pair Ismu, a member of Gani
Artha club, in the men's doubles event.
"We will try to improve our teamwork here. I used to play
defensively while Ismu is an offensive player," he added.
Anton is the only Southeast Asian player to qualify for the
Olympic men's singles after finishing 15th in the Asian
Championships in Hong Kong in March, which also served as an
Olympic qualifying round.
Anton and Ismu finished eighth in the men's doubles, while
China Taipei and Vietnam were in sixth and seventh place.
The newly-installed chairman of the Indonesian Table Tennis
Association (PTMSI) Triyanto Saudin officially opened the
tournament which offers a total of Rp 51.7 million (US$5,800)
prize money.
In his opening speech, Triyanto said winners of the tournament
would be invited to join the training program for the Southeast
Asian Table Tennis Association (SEATA) tournament in Kuala Lumpur
from Sept. 3 to Sept. 6.
"The training program will be held for one month, starting
after the end of the Indocement Cup," he said, adding that Anton
and Ismu would not take part in the preparation as they would
have flown to Sydney early in September.
Triyanto, however, failed to mention the number of athletes to
be invited and the selection procedure.
Favorite men's teams Surya B and Surya C of Kediri, East Java,
kicked off well in the qualifying round Thursday despite the
absence of defending champion Surya A, which comprises the club's
key players.
Surya B and C claimed a 3-0 victories over Robopong and Tunas
Utama respectively.
Host Tiga Roda B, second runner up in 1997, lost to HCIYS
Surabaya 1-3 while Tiga Roda C defeated Kosaka Tasik 3-0 in the
men's team event.
Women's team Surya C also managed to beat Gotong Royong team
3-0, while Surya B will begin their match on Friday. Tiga Roda
managed to beat Perhutani 3-2. (ivy)