Athletes sweat it out in sweltering Sidoarjo

Athletes sweat it out in sweltering Sidoarjo

Athletes preparing for Saturday's Asian Grand Prix in Sidoarjo, East Java, are finding the local hot weather -- with a drenching humidity factor of 97 percent -- not to their liking.

Even competitors from sweltering India say the humidity is leaving them hot and bothered.

"The track is OK, it's like in India, but the weather here is too humid," Hartit Singh, coach of 1,500 meter runner Sunita Rani of India, said during a training session at Sidoarjo Stadium on Friday morning.

Rani agreed with her coach about the humidity, but said her early evening event start would be an advantage.

On Friday, final preparations, including watering the field and setting up equipment, were underway for the grand prix.

Another athlete working out on Friday, women's high jumper Efimenko Tatiana of Kyrgyzstan, said the heat was energy sapping.

"We will see on Saturday how I perform," she said.

Athletics Association of Indonesia (PASI) secretary-general Tigor Tandjung said no upgrading was needed for the site to host the event.

"Sidoarjo Stadium is in good condition and has a history of holding big events, like the 2000 National Games," he said.

"For the Asian Grand Prix, we just brought the necessary equipment for Saturday."

A total of 19 countries are represented in the first stop of the three-leg Asian Grand Prix 2005. Each winner in the 16 events will take home prize money of US$2,500.

The host team's 28-strong contingent is the largest at the event, with PASI urging its athletes to use the opportunity to evaluate top competitors from within the region.

Only 110-meter hurdler Eddy Zakaria, who is suffering from a strained abdominal muscle, is eligible for the two other legs of the grand prix series in Singapore and Bangkok.

-- JP/Moch N. Kurniawan