IAAF expert says heat a hurdle for track and field athletes
IAAF expert says heat a hurdle for track and field athletes
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Heat is one of the obstacles Indonesia must overcome to
develop top athletes in track and field, according to a former
Olympian.
"I have good knowledge about the (Southeast Asian) region, and
Indonesia is not much different than the Philippines," Tony
Benson told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a coaching
course here on Monday.
Benson competed for Australia in the 5,000-meter race at the
1972 Olympics in Munich and coached the Philippine national
athletics team from 1979 to 1983.
"As is the case with the Philippines, heat is the impeding
factor in training. You can't do much training in the heat," he
said.
Pointing to Kenya as one of the most developed countries in
athletics, Benson said: "The difference between Kenya and
Indonesia is that Kenya lies about 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea
level, which makes it a good spot for the training."
He said such an altitude was ideal for developing endurance
and speed, two basic elements of middle and long-distance races.
Benson is the assistant director to Gunter Langer of Germany
at the ongoing coaching course here on middle and long-distance
running, and race walking. Both are experts from the
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Organized by the IAAF-affiliated Regional Development Center
Jakarta, the course, which will run until March 21, is being
attended by 14 coaches from eight countries: Bangladesh,
Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and Indonesia.
"The IAAF aims to improve the skill of the coaches in the
region. We will provide them with a program for effective
coaching," Benson said.
Benson, whose career best ranking was fifth in the world, said
that coaches should have a philosophy of how to coach.
He encouraged them to study different coaching methods and
techniques to find the most suitable method for themselves.
The chance to compete in lucrative tournaments should also
made available to athletes in order to increase their motivation
in training, he said.
"You know what makes Kenyans good runners? They run for money.
They are highly motivated to train hard," said Benson.