Aprilia, Bayu train overseas

JAKARTA (JP): Women's judoka Aprilia Marzuki and men's judoka Kresna Bayu will go to either Europe or Japan for six weeks training prior to the Olympic Games in Sydney in September, said the Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI) official in charge of athletes development, Subardi Suar.

"They are scheduled to leave Indonesia after competing in the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya next week. We have yet to decide whether they will train in the Netherlands, Germany or Japan. But we have received warm support from our ambassador in the Netherlands," he said on Monday.

Subardi said PJSI did not fear the risk of injury the athletes would face while competing in PON.

"As professional judokas, they know how to avoid injury."

Aprilia will compete in the women's 70-kilogram division and Bayu in the men's 90 kg division. In PON from June 19 to June 30, Aprilia will represent South Sumatra and Bayu West Java.

Aprilia and Bayu earned their Olympic tickets after finishing third and fourth respectively in the Asian Judo Open Championships in Osaka, Japan, last month. (ivy)