Games athletes ready for overseas trials
JAKARTA (JP): SEA Games table tennis competitors are ready to test their skills at the Malaysian Table Tennis Open tournament in Ipoh from Aug. 20 to Aug. 24, an official said Thursday.
Indonesian Table Tennis Association secretary-general Johnny Waworuntu said that Indonesian athletes were competing in overseas competitions as part of their training for the 19th SEA Games here in October.
Leading table tennis players from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Taiwan, Sweden, Hungary and Indonesia will play in the Malaysian Open.
After competing in Ipoh, Indonesia's table tennis players will proceed to China on Aug. 25 for a month-long training stint.
"The Ipoh event will a good venue for deciding which Indonesian players perform best over their Southeast Asian rivals," Johnny said.
"After participating in several championships at home, the players now have a chance to test their skills against top foreign players," he said.
Among the players going on the overseas stints are Hariyudo, M Al Arkam, Dedy Da Costa, Isman Haryanto, M Zaenudin, Irsan Susanto, Rosy Pratiwi Dipoyanti, Putri Hasibuan, Yulianti and Mulatsih.
A strict selection process for the SEA Games soccer team is underway at the All Indonesia Football Federation.
Federation coach Henk Wullens said he had called in 32 footballers to train for the biennial event.
He denied allegations Thursday that he would not select players fairly.
"I guarantee that all the players selected are qualified for the SEA Games and that they will be selected without considering which clubs they come from," he said.
The SEA Games training team includes Persebaya and Bandung Raya players who recently starred in the national soccer league.
He also said he would stick to his decision not to let the two teams' key players play in the qualifying rounds of the Champions and Winners Cups.
The association needs the two teams' key players to train for the SEA Games.
"Only 20 players will make the final team," he said.
Assistant to the Federation's coach, Tumpak Sihite, has said the SEA Games soccer team needs to improve its teamwork.
"Young players like Uston and Anang still need to coordinate better with the senior players," he said.
The SEA Games men's soccer competition starts two days before the official opening of the Games.
Countries participating in the soccer at the Games are divided into two groups. Group A: Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Singapore. Group B: Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos and the Philippines.
Events
The SEA Games organizing committee said Thursday that some events may be dropped if there aren't enough participants.
The 1996 SEA Games Federation rules stipulate that the holding of an event is only valid if at least three or four nations take part depending on the event.
Games training director Djoko Pramono said that only two countries had confirmed their participation in some events, reported Kompas.
"If these events are good gold prospects for Indonesia, we will consult with the other countries before the registration deadline on Sept. 19," he said.
Games competition commission official Muhammad Sarengat said 1,041 gold medals, 1,041 silver medals and 1,200 bronze were being made for the 440 gold awards, 440 silver awards and 558 bronze awards that will be on offer in 34 events. (03)