Best athletes deserve training privilege: KONI

Best athletes deserve training privilege: KONI

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Sports Council (KONI) will give the athletes that
have the greatest medal-winning chances the privilege of training
overseas for next year's Asian Games.

National training director Imron ZS told reporters on Friday
that the special treatment was aimed at improving Indonesia's
performance at the quadrennial sporting event, to be held in
Pusan, South Korea.

Indonesia finished 11th in the medals tally at the Bangkok
1998 Asiad, with six gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze medals.

"The Asian Games is not the place to seek experience. It is
the arena for us to win as many gold medals as possible," Imron
said.

"That's why KONI is offering training privileges to athletes
with gold medal chances, while at the same time we will also
arrange regular training for the rest."

"The selected athletes will receive financial support starting
next month and they will also have more opportunities for
overseas try-outs."

At the Games, Indonesia will compete in archery, badminton,
cycling, beach volleyball, billiards, bodybuilding, boxing,
canoeing, gymnastics, judo, karate, rowing, sailing, shooting,
swimming, tae kwon do, tennis, track and field, weightlifting and
wushu.

KONI has requested that a training fund of Rp 27 billion
(US$2.8 million), via the Ministry of National Education, be
included in the 2002 State Budget.

The sports council will also use the $70,000 Olympic
Solidarity fund already pledged by the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) to finance the training session for Asiad.

"All athletes, however, must remind themselves that being in
the training center doesn't mean they will automatically get a
seat to Pusan," said Imron.

"KONI has set clear-cut requirements for athletes who wish to
join the Asian Games training stint. They should either have been
finalists at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last month or be
ranked within the top five in Asia, or be those with outstanding
achievements."

KONI would maintain close discussion with sports organizations
to determine which athletes deserved a place in the national
team, according to Imron.

He expected all athletes to maintain their physical fitness
and reach 60 percent of their peak form by the end of this year
or early next year.

"The centralized training center is to start next January, so
all athletes must maintain their form during the current break,"
he said.

KONI will examine athletes' fitness prior to the training
session and will conduct another test next May to monitor their
progress. Those who fail to improve will be dropped from the
training program, Imron added.

Meanwhile, KONI vice chairman Arie Sudewo told reporters that
KONI was waiting for reports from a group of sports officials
assigned to drafting the training schedule and methods for the
Asian Games.

"The officials should have submitted their proposal before the
end of this year because we want the training center to start
next January," Arie said.