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)