Dance sport team hopes hard work pays off
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesian dance sport athletes are working hard in a bid to beat odds against hot rivals at the next SEA Games where the discipline will be on display for the first time at the region's biennial multi-event sporting competition.
The Indonesian Dance Sport Union (IODI), which was just established six months ago, is preparing four pairs for the games in Manila in December and they are determined to bring home a medal.
A full-time training schedule is imposed from morning through evening.
"The morning session, from 6:30 a.m to 10 a.m., is for physical training while the evening sessions, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, is for technical training," coach Soenarko Josodihardjo said here on Friday.
The athletes have days off on Saturday and Sunday.
"With the hard work, we hope we can win a gold medal at the SEA Games," Soenarko said, adding that the dance sport would offer two gold medals in the Latin dance and standard ballroom events.
Indonesian hopefuls are Thomas Susilo Hadi, 33, with his partner Lanny Budiani, 32, and the no. 1 couple Kriswandono, 30, and Aprillia M, 29, in Latin dance; Budhi Laij, 56, and wife Wisiana Tjan, 38, Tri Mulyana, 23, and Trisnawati, 22, in the standard ballroom event.
Kriswandono/April and Budhi/Wisiana are national champions in their respective events.
"Sometimes we practice until 10 p.m.," Thomas said during their training workout on Thursday.
"We hope we get something at the SEA Games from this hard work," his partner Lanny said.
Dance sport deserves a chance of offering a medal in multi- event championships as the discipline, like other sports, requires stamina and skill, according to Soenarko.
Soenarko said host country, the Philippines and Thailand were favorites and should be difficult to beat. "Hopefully, the training can provide Indonesian athletes with enough experience to challenge them for the gold medal.
"Singapore and Malaysian athletes are still below our level," he claimed.
Athletes relish the SEA Games challenge.
"We are not afraid of the Filipinos or the Thais," Budhi said.
"In 1998, I won an international competition in Singapore, so why don't I have a chance to win gold in the SEA Games?"
Budhi and Wisiana have also tested their skills in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei.
Kriswandoyo, who started dancing six years ago, said he and his fiancee Aprillia, would do their best to strike gold.
"I and Aprillia have competed with the Philippines dancers in Singapore last year," he said. "Two Philippines teams won the top two places. We finished in third."
IODI and the National Sports Council (KONI) plan to hire foreign coaches from Italy and Poland next month in an effort to enhance the athletes' medal prospects.
"Our styles fit with Italy and East Europe ... therefore we prefer a coach from either of those two countries," he said.
Warmup competitions in Singapore at the end of this month and in Taipei in September have also been included in the preparation schedule.