Four states to share track and field golds

JAKARTA (JP): Four countries will probably share equally the 44 golds at stake in athletics event in the 19th SEA Games here in October an official predicted.

Indonesia's track and field coach Pieter F. Noya said Tuesday that Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia were likely to continue their usual dominance in the track events.

"On paper, the four countries are equally strong so they will share the golds equally. Besides, we won't take advantage and tell the linesmen to stand on our side," he said.

In the 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, the host country Thailand dominated the track events winning 21 of the 45 golds. Malaysia trailed in second place with eight golds, Indonesia was third with seven golds and the Philippines was fourth with five golds.

Kompas reported that unusual events were run in the 1995 SEA Games, including men's and women's 200 meters relays, and that some Thai linesmen had called in favor of their country.

The National Sports Council is urging the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association to win more golds at the biennial event this year between Oct. 11 and Oct. 19.

Pieter said it was impossible to predict the number of golds the 71 national athletes would win, since they have yet to reach their peaks.

The association is training its athletes in Jakarta; Houston, Texas; and in West Java -- at Pengalengan tea plantation and in Lembang.

"Maybe we will have a better idea after the Indonesian Open athletics championships," Pieter said.

The association will use the championships to select the final squad.

Indonesia hopes to win gold in the marathon, decathlon, heptathlon, long distance running, jumping and javelin events. (yan)