Bob Hasan reelected PASI chairman
JAKARTA (JP): Muhammad "Bob" Hasan was renamed chairman of the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) for his sixth term, which will end in 2004.
Hasan, who has chaired the organization since 1978, was reelected unanimously during PASI's one-day national congress at Wisma Kalimanis in East Jakarta on Tuesday. The congress was attended by officials from the organization's 26 provincial chapters.
"I thank the congress for unanimously electing me today. In a difficult situation like this, I'll never lose my desire to improve PASI's performance," he said in a brief speech.
Hasan, a timber tycoon and an associate of former president Soeharto, said raising funds for the development of track and field in the country would be difficult, adding that many of his business associates had turned down requests to financially assist PASI.
"It may be not as easy as before to finance PASI's activities," he said.
The congress also urged Hasan to cooperate with four other PASI leaders -- HH Fabanyo of Irian Jaya, Chairul Azmi of North Sumatra, Ishak Obidaka of Central Kalimantan and Purnomo of Jakarta -- to appoint PASI officials.
Hasan said during a press briefing after the congress that he planned to set up 15 commissions in PASI to develop athletes and market athletics. These commissions will oversee athlete development; talent scouting; referees and competition; medical treatment; sprinting and hurdles; middle-distance and long- distance running and walking; jumping and throwing; athlete affairs; women athletes; marketing; media and TV; coaching; facilities; education and courses; and data.
Hasan said in the future athletics competitions in the country would last one or two days from their current four-day format. This would follow a similar move by the European Grand Prix series.
"Nowadays, people are really busy and if we stage track and field competitions for four days nobody will show up at the stadium. I plan to stage regular competitions for only one or two days with only 12 events instead of 46," he said.
Discussing the country's attempt to qualify more athletes for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Hasan said PASI would field as many athletes as possible for the Asian Championships here in August 2000, one of the last chances for athletes to qualify for the Olympics.
"Those who have qualified for the Olympics will undergo long- term training center here. PASI has a difficult task maintaining the peak form of the athletes who will compete in the National Games (PON) in Surabaya in July, the Asian Championships here in August and the Olympics," he said.
"If we want to send them abroad, it's too late because they must go through the long-term training program. I personally don't agree if my international-class athletes still have to compete in PON, but I can't say no to PASI's provincial chapters," he said.
Separately, former sprinter Purnomo said he aimed to improve athletes' training in accordance with his new post as a member of the International Amateur Athletics Federation's athletes commission.
"I want to help Indonesian athletes get sponsorships so we can send them abroad for better training," he told The Jakarta Post. (yan)