Bob Hasan reelected PASI chairman

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)