Athletes urged to shape up for Mexico trip

Athletes urged to shape up for Mexico trip

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Muslim karatekas have been urged to delay their fasting in
Ramadhan as the Indonesian Karate-do Federation (Forki) is keen
on seeing its athletes in prime shape for next month's World
Karate Championship.

Forki secretary-general Hendardji was quoted as requesting
that a number of athletes abstain from fasting in order to
prepare optimally for the event.

"Pak Hendardji wants some karatekas to discontinue fasting and
repay the days that they were absent after the championship,"
coach Richard Ardy Ganggas said during the break of Tuesday's
training session.

The championship will be hosted by Mexico from Nov. 18 to Nov.
21.

During the Ramadan fasting month athletes have been adjusting
their training workouts by reducing the training load to one and
a half hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.

However, now that Forki has reversed its training policy, the
athletes are expected to revert to the normal workload: three-
hour practicing session each in the morning and evening.

Another coach Delphinus Poltak Rumahorbo said the policy would
aim for intensified practice sessions in order to increase the
physical endurance of the athletes.

"The weather at the location of the world championship in
Mexico is different than that of Jakarta, so we need to improve
the karatekas' VO2 max immediately," he said.

VO2 max refers to an athlete's maximal rate of oxygen
consumption. It is a measure of the athlete's capacity to
generate the energy required for endurance activities.

Despite Forki's instruction, Donny Dharmawan and Telly Melinda
said that they would try to continue fasting under the newly
designated training session and only if they cannot withstand it
they will bow out.

"I will try to fast for the three-hour practice session. If I
can't stand it, I will stop fasting and repay it later," Donny
said.

"I'll see first the implementation of the renewed practicing
session," Telly said.

Twelve karatekas are currently training. It should have been
13 but Bambang Maulidin failed to join, reportedly due to a
recurring injury.

Forki is sending nine athletes to Mexico. Donny and Telly are
favorites to take their places in the team along with Syarif,
Oemar Syarif, Ismail, Rizki Syahbana, Jenny Zeannet, Kartika
Ekawati and Puspa Meonk.