Despite coach's disappointment, archers to start training soon

JAKARTA (JP): National archers are expected to arrive here for their long-term training camp on Feb. 20, the Indonesian Archery Association's athletes development deputy, Andi Suhendro, said on Wednesday.

"We hope they will arrive on Feb. 20 and they'll stay temporarily at the Hotel Atlet Century Park. Officials are looking to rent a house near the Senayan sports complex," he said.

On Monday the association's chairman Hayono Isman said after his induction ceremony that the training camp would start early next month.

But South Korean coach Lee Jae-hyun expressed his disappointment with the decision, saying that he would not expect his archers to qualify for the 2000 Olympics due to the shortened training period.

Indonesia has qualified for the Olympics since taking a silver in the 1988 Summer Games in Sydney, its first medal in the world's biggest sports festival.

Lee is perhaps right to worry since his archers failed to bring home medals from the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December.

Andi said the association has decided to call up only six of seven female athletes to prepare for the World Championships in Riom, France from July 22 to July 26.

They are Nurfitriyana Saiman Lantang, Kusuma Wardani, Hamdiah, Dwi Purwanti, Lusia Elizabeth and Ajeng Wulan. He did not elaborate as to why Rosena Gelanteh was dropped from the list.

Nurfitriyana, Lusia, Dwi and Suhartini participated in the Asiad but the latter was not called up for training.

The team, which is training in the Senayan sports complex, will then compete at the Asian Championships in Beijing from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

Andi said Dwi had declined to join the training camp due to pressure of studies in Surabaya.

"She had asked for a two-term leave. If she asks for more, she'll have to drop out of college. We will try to transfer her to another college here so she can still study and train at the same time," he said.

Andi also said that the association would allow athletes to bring their children here.

"If they have infants, it's impossible to leave the baby in their hometown. For instance, Hamdiah is allowed to bring her baby because her hometown is in Samarinda, East Kalimantan. We'll find a babysitter for the child," he said.

Andi said the next meeting on Saturday would discuss the men's team training camp.

"Donald Pandiangan is assigned as coach to the men's team so Lee can concentrate on the women's team. Donald has asked me to call up the athletes soon but we have yet to discuss when training will start."

The men's team -- comprising Hendra Setiawan, Wahyu Hidayat, Yulianto, Permadi Sandra, Ditto Rembrandt and Budi Suhartono -- will likely train in either Cibubur, East Java, or the Gunung Mas tea plantation at Puncak, West Java.

Hendra, Wahyu and Yulianto were part of the Asiad team while Latip Pramono was not called up for training. (yan)