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.