Bowling not for Asian Games: PBI

Bowling not for Asian Games: PBI

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

National ten-pin bowlers have to bury their dreams of
participating at the Busan 2002 Asian Games as the Indonesian
Bowling Association (PBI) has decided not to send them, but opted
for internal development instead.

"We took the decision after thorough deliberation. Our bowlers
have yet to compete with even those from neighboring Malaysia and
Singapore," PBI chairman Maxi Gunawan told reporters on Sunday.

"We can't get the bowlers ready in just three or four months.
It'll be better if we improve our bowlers first and groom our
junior bowlers as well," he added.

Besides from the Southeast Asian countries, PBI is expecting
tough challenge from East Asian countries such as host South
Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

Maxi, elected as the new chairman last November, was speaking
after a national working meeting over the weekend.

He also admitted that Indonesian bowlers were short-game
players unsuitable for matches at the Asian Games, which has long
games.

"Our bowlers may score a good average on the first six games
but then their performance tends to tail off due to lack of
physical fitness, or concentration and mental problems," said
Maxi.

"Bowling is an individual game and you should not let yourself
be distracted by opponents playing to your left and right."

Maxi revealed that the meeting discussed the effort to
maximize bowlers' performance, which included coaching.

"It is unfair if we say that our bowlers are bad. Perhaps they
don't get the right coaching. The problem is, we don't have any
internationally recognized coaches," he said.

"There will be a training session in May for our coaches. We
have invited officials from the World Ten-Pin Bowling Association
(WBTA) to supervise the training," he added.

Meanwhile, PBI official responsible for international
relations Aswin Limansantoso said that WBTA already possessed a
database on most Indonesian bowlers.

"The world association is currently designing training methods
suited to our bowlers."