Coach awaits heated karate action

Coach awaits heated karate action

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

National karate coach Willem Mantiri relishes the competitiveness
at the Indonesia Open, saying that the international karate
tournament should be a good field for the national squad ahead of
the 2002 Asian Games.

The Indonesia Open will be held from June 4 to June 6, at the
Bung Karno Tennis Hall in Jakarta, while the Asian Games will be
held in Busan from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.

With 19 countries already confirming their participation in
the three-day event, the committee chairman Hermawan Sulistyo
said that 80 percent of the expected 300 karatekas at the
tournament were national athletes from their respective
countries.

"That's a challenge. That's exactly what we have been
expecting. With such a strong field, we will be able to evaluate
our own strength ahead of the Asian Games," Willem told reporters
at the training ground in Cijantung, East Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Indonesia will field 40 athletes split into two teams at the
tournament. Willem is the head coach of the Buffalo Team, four of
its members being Indonesian hopefuls for the Asian Games.

The four are Bambang Maulidin, Sonny Simangasing, Arif Taufan
and Hasan Basri. Jenny Zeanette and Yulianti Syafrudin could have
joined their male teammates, but the two have opted to head for
France for the Ladies Open.

While he fended off questions on how he should rate his
squad's chance, Willem said that the athletes by then would have
reached 70 percent to 75 percent of the optimum condition.

The other Indonesian team, which is composed of the winners of
the recent Kasad Cup, is guided by head coach Zulkarnaen Purba.

Besides Indonesia, Iran will also come with two teams.

Meanwhile, Romania and Uzbekistan have confirmed they will
participate, with the committee still expecting a few more.

"We are expecting about four more participants, including the
United States and Japan," Hermawan said.