Hasan to reform PASI if he is reelected
JAKARTA (JP): Chairman of the Indonesian Amateur Athletic Association (PASI) Muhammad "Bob" Hasan said on Friday he would reform the 49-year-old association should he be reelected for the 1999-2003 term.
Hasan said he would form some crucial commissions including media, athlete and marketing commissions to help popularize the sport among the youths.
"I am thinking of ways to boost athletes' performance in international events other than the Southeast Asian competitions," he said.
He said he would invite students to join the commissions and add more women in the lineup.
"The athletes' commissions should include women as there are many female athletes. We will also include students to help manage this sport.
"I have observed that students are the main subject to develop athletics all over the world. Students are expected to reach the world level," he said after the opening of the national track and field championships.
He said the marketing commission would be responsible for raising funds for the association.
Hasan, a timber tycoon and a close associate of former president Soeharto, is scheduled to deliver on Thursday his accountability speech at the PASI congress at the Wisma Kalimanis, South Jakarta. He has been chairing the association since 1978.
Apart from his job as PASI chairman, Hasan is also the president of the Asian Amateur Athletic Association, the vice president representing Southeast Asia in the Olympic Committee of Asia and a council member of the International Olympic Committee.
Records were not broken at the championships, but 31 athletes qualified for the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya next year.
Yanis Raubaba of Irian Jaya outclassed teammate John Murray in the men's 100m sprint in 10.40 seconds. Murray finished third in 10.78, while Erwin Heru of East Java was second with 10.67.
"This is my best record. I only prepared for two months for this championships. It's a blessing from God," Yanis said.
Murray is expected to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in the men's 200m sprint.
Despite taking the gold medal, national women's sprinter Irene T. Joseph of Maluku made a late start and only finished with 12.03 in the 100m sprint.
"I am not aiming to improve my personal best time here. Maluku only wants gold medals from me, and I have fulfilled my task," said Irene, 19, who has qualified for the 2000 Olympics.
National women's long-jumper Nyoman Rae Trisandiana of South Sumatra finished first after jumping 6.01m, but it was not enough for her to qualify for the 2000 Olympics which sets a limit of 6.50m. Rabaiya of South Sulawesi was second with 5.88m and Judith Soselisa of East Java was third with 5.84m.
Supriati Sutono failed to perform in the women's 5,000m final held on Friday, saying that she was recovering from a foot injury sustained in August at the 1999 Southeast Asian Games in Brunei Darussalam.
Erni Ulatningsih of Central Java won the event clocking 17:37.59, followed by teammate Tri Asih Handayani in 17:58.97 and Hasna Hamli of Central Sulawesi in 18:58.83. (ivy)