Indonesia badly needs qualified coaches: Observer

Indonesia badly needs qualified coaches: Observer

CIANJUR, West Java (JP): The absence of qualified coaches for
any kind of sports is blamed for Indonesia's unimpressive
performance in international events, a sport observer said
yesterday.

R. Maladi, the State Minister of Sports in 1956-1962 and 1962-
1966, told participants of a symposium on coaching here that
Indonesia has trainers, not coaches.

Speaking at the opening session of the two-day symposium,
which was attended by 60 coaches and officials of the National
Sports Council (KONI), Maladi said Indonesian coaches only have
the skills to train athletes on court, but they are not provided
with support.

"A coach should have a university background, but here coaches
are usually only educated to high school level," Maladi said.

"Coaches who graduate from universities have scientific
training methods, and can understand the psychological condition
of their athletes," he added.

Maladi suggested the government set up a special Sports
Institute which might become a stable of qualified coaches in the
future.

He said although the current Teacher's Training Institute has
a school of sports and health, it doesn't teach coaches how to
approach athletes.

"A coach should support, understand and encourage his athletes
in order to boost their performance."

"I personally suggest that academies are set up in Bandung and
Medan for Western Indonesia, and Surabaya and Ujungpandang for
the eastern part," he added.

Maladi urged KONI to initiate the idea in cooperation with the
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of
Education and Culture.

Foreign coach

Maladi said that, in the meantime, Indonesia should hire
foreign coaches, especially for four main sports: swimming, track
and field, shooting and gymnastics.

"The purpose of hiring foreign coaches is to lift Indonesia to
new highs in international events," he said. "The foreign coaches
will also give important lessons to Indonesian trainers," he
added.

Another speaker M. Hindarto, KONI's training director, agreed
with Maladi about hiring foreign coaches.

"They could transfer their up-to-date knowledge to local
trainers." Hindarto said. "Our trainers will learn how to arrange
a training program and to build a perfectionist attitude."

Hindarto, however, reminded that hiring foreign coaches would
cost a lot of money. "There will be also a cultural gap between
the coach and the athletes and a language barrier," he said.

Hindarto said foreign coaches would have only limited time to
groom athletes here. There is also a possibility that the
knowledge transfer process would end, once the foreign coaches
are gone. (05)