Athletes to train in South Korea

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian tae kwon do athletes have chosen South Korea as the right place to seek both performance enhancing exercises and a confidence boost in preparation for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in December.

The team, made up of eight men's and nine women's tae kwon do athletes, are leaving for their stint in South Korea for almost a month this weekend.

The athletes, led by their South Korean coach Nam Oh-ill, have arranged a series of duel meetings with local athletes during the training stint.

Korea is the birth place of the martial art. Tae kwon do made its Olympic debut as a medal event in Barcelona in 1992.

"We don't need to pick world-class sparring partners there because we don't want anybody to suffer unexpected injuries during the outing," Willy Kastein of the Indonesian Tae kwon do team said.

The national tae kwon do men's team comprises Ie Hoe Martono, Mehmed Sakolli, Ade Yudha, Dominggus Wasonono, Pino Indra Perdana, Eddy Musiyamtoro, Robert and Andri Halim.

The women's team is made up of Andriani Tri Asmara, Ade Novriza, Dyah Erna Susanti, Umi Alfiah, Tience Keliombar, Rita Elis, Rahel daring, Nova Sahetapy and Sinta Berliana Heru.

Indonesia formed a tae kwon do team which is dominated by new faces in its bid to end its gold medal drought in the upcoming SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand in December.

Indonesia managed only two golds, four silvers and seven bronzes in the last SEA Games in Singapore.

The national team is bound to an international tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam shortly after its South Korean stint. (amd)