Hockey team aims for silver despite internal disputes

Hockey team aims for silver despite internal disputes

By Ivy Susanti

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian hockey team's preparation for the
20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam has been
marred by controversy, with bitter disputes arising over training
partners and venues.

The controversy started when the Indonesian Hockey Association
(PHSI) failed to summon its 39 male and 33 female athletes to
join the centralized training program early this year.

Training only began in June after PHSI was repeatedly
cautioned by the National Sports Council (KONI), which questioned
whether the association wished to perform at the biennial event
to be held from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.

The late start had led to speculation that PHSI was incapable
of preparing teams for the Games due to internal conflicts
between PHSI and its Jakarta chapter.

But PHSI chairman Primadi Tabrani said Indonesia would try to
win the bronze medal, in a rerun of the men's team performance
here two years ago.

"We want our men's and women's team to finish in the top
three, but we hope for a silver medal in the men's event and we
hope the women will match that," he said last May, prior to his
inauguration as PHSI chairman for the 1999 to 2003 term.

Indonesia's men's team finished third behind Malaysia and
Singapore in 1997, with the women's team failing to finish in the
top three.

KONI subsequently intervened to cut the number of players to
18 men and 18 women, and refused to provide funds for those who
failed to join the nucleus teams. PHSI officials had also
promised to solve its internal conflict, which has hindered
training preparations.

The dispute, however, continued with PHSI claiming its team
was prohibited from using the Rp 1 billion (US$147,000) synthetic
field at the Senayan sports complex. It accused the Jakarta
chapter, which had earlier rented the field from the Gelora
Senayan executive directors, as responsible for the move.

KONI's official in charge of athlete development Mochammad
Hindarto said the team had not been barred from practicing on the
field.

"The team should arrange a schedule for using the field,
because there are some local clubs who use (it)," he said.

PHSI was also under fire for refusing to stage a warm-up
against a local team, especially the Jakarta chapter, saying
local teams' technical skills were below the national team's
standard. It had urged KONI to approve an overseas training
proposal.

In early July PHSI decided to expel its women's team, because
12 of them had trained poorly during the preparations.

PHSI failed to send its men's team to compete in the Tun Abdul
Razak Cup in Selangor, Malaysia, from July 9 to July 15, as it
failed to meet the registration deadline.

PHSI was able, however, to send the team to Malaysia on July
19 for tryouts with local clubs.

"This is a good opportunity for our team, because we rarely
have joint practice sessions. We all know that the Malaysian
hockey team has an international reputation," said the hockey
team manager, Primadi.

He said that although the national team could not beat the
world-class Malaysian hockey team, it could develop a strategy to
beat Singapore at the SEA Games.

"If we can beat the Singaporeans, the silver medal is
certainly in our hands," he said.

Hockey team lineup: Melkianus Christian Mamoribo, Edwin Aldrin
Mamoribo, Elexi, Ibrahim, Iwan Riswanto, Johannes Parera, Kana Badhi,
Lawen, Kundan Singh, Raja, Rajesh Prettypal Singh, Ramu, Rikoh
Rinanda Sasiang, Ronald Evans Kadiwaru, Sarbjit Singh, Surinder
Singh, Suyatno, Wahyudi