Indonesia eyes Olympic beach volleyball berth

Indonesia eyes Olympic beach volleyball berth

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is out to win an Olympic berth for its women's team in the World Championships Series in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which starts today.

Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, newly installed chairperson of the Indonesian Volleyball Federation, said yesterday that the women's spikers have a great chance to qualify for the Olympics due to their world ranking of 16th.

Only 16 teams from each division are eligible to play in the Olympics in Atlanta next July. Beach volleyball is making its debut in the world's greatest sporting extravaganza.

Indonesia is also sending a men's team to the World Championships, the final qualifying round for the Olympics. The men's team is ranked 24th in the world.

Siti Hardiyanti said that if the women's spikers qualify, they deserve places in the national Olympic team at any cost. "I ask, beg and insist the National Sport Council includes the beach volleyball players in the national squad if they qualify," she said.

The council said earlier that athletes who qualify for the Olympics would not automatically go to Atlanta.

Rita Subowo, the new executive chairman of the federation, said that the world beach volleyball body will ban Indonesia from the next Olympics and world series if it wastes its Olympic berth. (05)