Athletes, officials to get sports awards

Athletes, officials to get sports awards

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian men's doubles champions Sigit
Budiarto/Candra Wijaya will be awarded the Parama Krida Utama
medal for their achievement at the 1997 World Championships in
Glasgow in May.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman
announced Tuesday that 52 athletes, 10 coaches, 13 sports
organization officials and seven referees would be awarded medals
to mark National Sports Day on Sept. 9 in Aceh.

Among those who will be given medals are Joko Suprihatno, who
won gold in pencak silat (a regional form of martial arts) at the
1997 World Championships in Kuala Lumpur; and Indonesia's men's
and women's traditional boat race teams who won six golds and one
silver in eight events at the Second World Dragon Boat
Championships in Hong Kong in June.

Powerlifter Sutrisno and weight lifter Sri Indriyani will
receive Parama Krida Madya medals for their achievements in the
world championships this year.

Bodybuilder I Gusti Agung Rai Kusuma Yudha, better known as
Ade Rai, will also be awarded a Parama Krida Pratama.

Hayono said that Yayuk Basuki -- WTA ranked 22 in the singles
and seventh in the doubles -- and former WBF title holder Suwito
Lagola were not awarded medals.

Yayuk was excluded because the WTA ranking women's doubles
list was issued after the selection board made their decision.

Suwito failed to make the list because the WBF stripped him of
his title.

Hayono said the ceremony would be in Aceh because "it will
encourage other provinces to train their athletes for national
and international events, and show that the focus is not just on
Jakarta or Java."

Vice Governor Zainuddin said several other activities were
being organized to mark the day. These include the Coca Cola Cup
final four, and the Aceh Open 10K -- in which Malaysian and
Singaporean runners will also compete.

Vice President Try Sutrisno is expected to attend the
ceremony. (yan)