Asia's best set for track and field championships here

JAKARTA (JP): The 11th Asian Track and Field Championships next week could bring back to Indonesia some of the World Championship limelight from Gothenburg, Sweden, organizers say.

Gurmilang Kartasasmita, vice chairman of the organizing committee, said yesterday that most of the Asian athletes who shined in Sweden last month have confirmed their participation in the athletic meet slated for Sept. 20 to 24 at the Senayan Madya stadium.

World heptathlon champion and Asian Games gold medalist Gada Shouha of Syria, steeplechase bronze medalist Saad Shadat from Saudi Arabia, women's 100m hurdle silver medalist Shishigina of Kazakhstan, and Zhang Xiying of China, silver medalist in the women's shot put, will be among Ma Junren's prodigal women.

Two fixtures in Ma's army of China have also confirmed their entry: Wang Junxia and Qu Yunxia, who shattered the 10,000m and 3,000m world records, respectively, in the 1993 world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, but flopped in the national selection for the Gothenburg meet.

The continent's cream of the crop are scheduled to arrive here as early as Sept. 15, Gurmilang said.

"We especially ask international communities here, including students of international schools, to come and see a great parade of the world's track and field champions from the continent," Gurmilang added.

The winners of the championships here will represent Asia at the Athletic World Cup Championships next year. The world track and field body IAAF, however, has yet to set the place and date for the world meet.

President Soeharto is scheduled to officially open the Asian meet on Sept. 20. The men's 100m and women's 100m heat races will follow immediately.

A total of 544 athletes from 34 member countries of the Asian Amateur Athletic Association (AAAA) are expected to make a trip here. AAAA has 45 members.

The organizers have received their entry forms. They include 47 athletes from China, 56 from Thailand, 23 from India and 39 from Japan. Host Indonesia will step onto the track with 53 athletes. (arf)