Incumbent chief of cycling body likely to be re-elected

Incumbent chief of cycling body likely to be re-elected

JAKARTA (JP): Incumbent chairman of the Indonesian Cycling
Association Harry Sapto is most likely to be reelected for the
post at the association's national congress in Bali this weekend.

Harry virtually remains the sole candidate for the
association's top job because the other candidate, Soebronto
Laras, declined his nomination to lead the association.

The association's secretary-general, Husein Argasasmita, told
The Jakarta Post yesterday, "Harry is the sole candidate now. If
elected again, he will lead the association for the fourth
consecutive term."

The congress is scheduled on Saturday and Sunday in Bali Cliff
Resort Hotel in Pugeh, Jimbaran, Bali.

Soebronto, chairman of Indomobil Group, the country's second
largest car company after Astra, was recently nominated by a club
which he chairs, Ikatan Penggemar Sepeda Jakarta (Association of
Jakarta Cycling Fans) to lead the association.

The association's Jakarta, South Sulawesi, Central Java, North
Sumatra, Bengkulu and Bali chapters have also voiced support for
his nomination, Husein said.

However, soon after news of his nomination was widespread,
Soebronto met Harry, a 42-year-old businessman, and told him that
he was unable to accept the nomination because he was very busy
and would find it difficult to make time for the association.

Husein quoted Harry as saying that he was ready to chair the
association for another term but expressed hope that there was
someone better than him who could and would replace him.

In saying that he was ready for the next term, Harry urged the
association's provincial chapters to put more effort into finding
and training female cyclists, Husein said.

"We are short of good female cyclist. We can't always rely on
Nurhayati (currently the country's number one female cyclist),"
Husein said. Husein recalled how difficult it was to seek good
female cyclist for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, last year. "Finally, we found five, but only four were
qualified. But none of them have the skills parallel to Nurhayati
yet," Husein said.

Husein also expressed discontent that many velodromes built by
the association on the demand of its provincial chapters are
rarely used. Currently there are eight cities which have their
own velodromes: Ujung Pandang in South Sulawesi, Surakarta in
Central Java, Malang in East Java, Semarang in Central Java,
Cimahi in West Java, Jakarta, Padang in West Sumatra and Medan in
North Sumatra, Husein said.

Husein said that another problem is that cycling tournaments
organized by provincial chapters are rarely attended by cyclists
from other provinces. "They blame lack of money for their poor
participation. But if they are told that the tournament serves as
a qualifying round for this year's National Games (Sept. 9 to
Sept. 20), then all of a sudden they are able to send many of
their cyclists," Husein said. (arf)