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.