Champion plans to quit, look for job

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Mandaue City, the Philippines

On the podium, she was the 2005 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist. In real life, judoka Endang Sri Lestari Nugrohowati is jobless.

"I have no job. I hope after winning the gold, Surakarta administration (in Central Java) can help me get a job there," the 30-year-old athlete said.

Endang said that athletes should get proper appreciation for their international achievements, such as jobs, since they have made sacrifices in their lives for the sake of the country.

"When I won a gold at the SEA Games in Malaysia four years ago, I was told to submit my documents to the Surakarta administration so that they could give me a job. Until now I'm still jobless," said Endang, who has an economics diploma.

Her story is common among Indonesia's sports community. Athletes have yet to get recognition much less rewards from the government, despite their contribution to the nation.

As the House of Representatives passed a law on sports on Oct. 28, 2005 that requires the government and local administrations to provide proper appreciation for athletes, Endang should get a reward for her achievement.

Born in Surakarta on Feb. 25, 1975, Endang has proven herself at the regional level. She won gold in the 2001 SEA Games, bronze in the 2003 Games and another gold this year.

The wife of Ahmad Bahar -- they got married on April 4, 2004 -- had a bad experience in last year's National Games final when she was deemed to have used "a technique that could endanger her opponent".

"I was very close to the gold medal, but suddenly I was banned from fighting in the final," she recalled. "But I believe that God has shown his power. Even if I prepare well, I wouldn't win without His blessing."

Endang acknowledged that the Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI) did not expect her to win the gold in the women's 57- kilogram class at the Games, considering her tough rivals.

"I think I have prepared better this year, compared to two years ago. I went through all the training sessions seriously. In the end, I just left it to God," she said.

Moments before the final match began, Endang kept convincing herself that she was ready for the decisive moment against Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Kieu.

"I continued praying, God, please, give me the best," she said. "I was very confident during the fight, throwing and locking my opponent."

Her hard work and prayers apparently paid off, with an ippon (maximum score of 10 points).

Asked what she would do after quitting judo, Endang frankly said she did not know, but that she might share her experience and know-how with her juniors to make them better judokas.

"I don't know what to do. Perhaps I'll just go back to Surakarta to help train judokas there," she said, hoping to get a job soon.