Five RI boxers qualify for Olympic Games

Five RI boxers qualify for Olympic Games

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Pino Bahari and Hermensen Ballo did
it their own way at the Asia Olympic qualifying tournament in
Bangkok on Thursday.

Middleweight Pino fought tooth and nail before outscoring home
favorite Buncha Malison to grab an Olympic berth. In the
flyweight three-rounder earlier in the day, Hermensen dominated
Khaled Falah of Syria to secure the coveted ticket.

The double victories bring the number of Indonesians qualified
to go to Atlanta to five. Light-flyweight Lapaene Masara, Pino's
brother Nemo, a featherweight, and light-middleweight Hendrik
Simangunsong secured their berths in previous qualifying
tournaments.

The tournament in Bangkok is the last Olympic selection for
Asian boxers.

Winning and losing finalists in each class of the regional
qualifiers will advance to the Atlanta games, except for the
heavyweight contest, which is only open to champions.

Indonesian team manager Bambang Asmanu, however, forced his
boxers to delay their celebrating. "They are not automatically
going to Atlanta despite their wins. We will take a look at their
performances leading up to the Olympics," he said.

Pino and company will undergo a series of training sessions at
home, starting on March 10. The rigorous stint continues with two
outings over three months in Uzbekistan and Cuba. The Indonesian
Amateur Boxing Association will not give them a break to go home
during their Olympic preparation.

Indonesia only won two tickets in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
through Hendrik and Albert Papilaya. Albert crashed this time to
China's Zhao Yong in Bangkok.

Pino was left trailing by two points in the first two rounds
of Thursday's bout. A last-ditch effort in the final round helped
Pino to turn back the tide. The referee and judges scored 9-8 in
favor of Pino at the end of the fight.

Hermensen vindicated his last minute dismissal from the
national team for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, last December. He set the pace with nearly flawless
combinations to win a 13-6 point decision. (amd)