Athletes told to focus on training to reap SEA Games goals

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With a target of six golds in the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games later this year, the Athletics Association of Indonesia (PASI) is telling its 50 athletes to do what is required to reach the goal.

That includes maintaining a disciplined attitude toward their training and taking a course of pricey vitamin supplements for peak performance.

"PASI chairman Bob Hasan hopes that Indonesia will win more than its four golds from the 2003 SEA Games," PASI head of development affairs Budi Dharma Sidi said last week. "He expects six golds and we will try to fulfill that."

However, in the current training camps in Jakarta, Pangalengan of West Java and Salatiga in Central Java, several athletes have failed to show the desired progress.

"Some aren't disciplined in their training, others don't take their vitamins," he said. "But we also see that some athletes have shown progress in their training."

Budi vowed to dismiss athletes who failed to change their attitude, saying the benefits of sticking to the program were already clearly seen.

"Look at John Herman Muray, he is already 27 years old, but he keeps making progress," he said.

John won the 100 meters sprint in two of the three legs of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix, setting a personal best along the way.

"I want gold in the SEA Games," the Papuan, who won bronze in 2003 in Hanoi, said. "I have more confidence after winning the Grand Prix and now take the vitamins to help improve my performance."

Budi also noted the improvement of Deysie Sumigar, who won the women's 100 meters at the National Athletics Championships in late July.

"Deysie is the fastest 100 meter sprinter we have and she proved that by winning the nationals," he said.

Also doing well are Jauhari Johan in the 10,000 meters and women's 1,500 meter runner Olivia Sadi, whose nationals' time of 4:19.48 shaved just over two seconds off the eight-year-old mark of Supriati Sutono.

But Budi was disappointed with the poor progress of 110-meter hurdler Edi Zakaria, whose best performance was at the Athens Olympics last year.

Budi hoped the athletes could continue to improve their performance and peak at the SEA Games in November.

"One more thing that I want to stress is that we continue to remind athletes to take vitamins, which are good for them. We spent Rp 2 million per athlete per month for the vitamins, with the aim of improving their nutrition," he said.

The association also wants to hire a top foreign coach for the final stretch before the SEA Games in November.

"We are now seeking a coach from Europe, and East Asia like Japan."

PASI is putting its gold medal hopes on hurdler Edi, men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi, women's marathon runner Feri Marince Subnafeu, the men's javelin throw, the women's hammer throw and Ahmad Sakeh in the men's 800 meters.

Budi said athletics competition in the region was relatively equal at present, with each country boasting particular specialities.

Athletes from the Philippines, for example, excel at the long jump and middle distance divisions, while Thai athletes are strong in the sprints.

Singaporean athletes are outstanding in throw events, especially after several Chinese athletes migrated to the city- state, while athletes from Vietnam are improving.

Budi said an invitational event in Singapore in September, with all the regional hopefuls competing, would provide an accurate view of Indonesia's medal chances.

"In that event, we will have the big picture of whether our training is working well or not. We will also see in Singapore who our tough opponents will be," he said.