Indonesia head of the class at schools swimming c'ship

JAKARTA (JP): Young Indonesian swimmer Hendrik Eko AP sealed his team's domination of the fourth ASEAN Schools Swimming Championships by winning the boy's 50m freestyle on its final day on Wednesday.

Indonesia won 12 golds, 12 silvers and seven bronzes to top the medal standings, followed by archrival Thailand in second place with 11 golds, 10 silvers and 12 bronzes. Malaysia was third with six golds, five silvers and eight bronzes.

Underdog Vietnam finished fourth with one silver and one bronze, but newcomer Brunei Darussalam was left to return home empty-handed.

Indonesian supporters, including journalists, officials and the chairman of the organizing committee, Sri Sudono Sumarto, shouted ecstatically as they watched Eko, 17, touch home in 24.78 seconds, which was also a new personal best. He won his first gold in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday.

Sudono said the result was extraordinary because it was Indonesia's first overall championship title since it began competing in the event in 1993.

In the last championship in Thailand two years ago, Indonesian swimmers earned one silver and three bronzes.

"We did the right thing by proposing Jakarta to host the event in a meeting in Subic, the Philippines, in 1997. We said Indonesia had few swimming competitions. We did not know that the country would be hit by the economic crisis the following year, but look at the results now. The swimmers were motivated by their last performances in the SEA Games in Brunei, and also the support of the spectators," he said.

Eko's compatriot Steven Chandra remained atop the medal tally in the boys' individual event after he earned one more gold on Wednesday in the 200m freestyle in a time of 1:58.34. He already collected three golds in the 400m freestyle, 1,500m freestyle and 200m butterfly.

M. Akbar Nasution also won another gold in his favorite event, the 100m breaststroke, sharpening his personal best in a time of 1:06.09. Akbar earned two golds earlier in the 200m individual medley and 200m breaststroke.

In the girls' event, Thailand's Pornlada Srisawat and Malaysian Siew Yi-ting shared first place in the medal standings with three golds each.

Pornlada earned one more gold in the 200m freestyle on Wednesday, clocking 2:09.82, while Siew also won the 100m breaststroke with 1:16.33.

Commenting on the poor performances of Indonesian's girl swimmers, Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) deputy secretary-general Kristiono Sumono said the swimmers performed to their maximum capabilities in the event.

"They are our best girl swimmers. They are still very young. However, they reached the limit of their capabilities in this championship. They still have the chance to improve," he said.

Radja M. Nasution, coach of the Pari Sakti swimming club, said that the girl swimmers' achievements surpassed their predecessors at the same event two years ago.

"The result is better than two years ago, where we only got one silver from Akbar. Maybe it's because we field the SEA Games swimmers in this competition," said Radja, who is also Akbar's father. (ivy)