Indonesia needs good athletics coaches
Indonesia needs good athletics coaches
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in dire need of better qualified
track and field coaches to further develop the skills and
techniques of local athletes, an expert of the International
Amateur Athletic Federation says.
"Athletes are only as good as their coaches," Bjorn Wangemann,
IAAF's development director, told The Jakarta Post at an IAAF
administration seminar.
The four-day seminar was attended by representatives of track
and field associations from 13 Asian countries, including Iran,
Maldives, Southeast Asian countries and India.
According to J.E.W. Gosal, director of IAAF's Asian Regional
Development Center, the seminar is aimed at standardizing
technical and administration know-how on athletics. This includes
coaching, marketing and sponsorship, he added.
Commenting on Indonesia's poor performance in the 5th Asian
junior athletic championship, which ended on Tuesday, Bjorn said
Indonesian athletes were not to be blamed.
"It was due to a lack of qualified coaching," Bjorn said. At
the four-day track and field meet, which lasted four days at
Senayan Madya stadium, Indonesia won only one gold medal through
Ferry Junaedi in the men's 10,000m.
According to Bjorn, Indonesian coaches are good but "better
coaches are needed" in order to improve the performance of
Indonesian athletes.
When asked to comment on foreign coaches, Bjorn said hiring
foreign coaches was only good for the few athletes they directly
and personally instructed. Because their span of coaching is
limited, hiring them was not very useful for improving the
quality of Indonesian athletes in general, he added.
Quality
Hence, instead of hiring foreign coaches, Indonesia should
focus on developing the quality of its own coaches, Bjorn
advised.
Gurmilang Kartasasmita, former research and development
official of the Indonesian Athletic Association (PASI), told the
Post that Indonesia has 100 level-one coaches certified by IAAF.
Level-one coaches are those who deal with the coaching of all
aspects of track and field in general. Level-two coaches are more
specialized. Education for level-two coaches entails
specialization in all throwing events, all jumping events,
sprinting and middle and long distance running and walking.
Gurmilang said that there is currently a level-two education
course for level-one coaches at Senayan Madya stadium. National
coach Wita Witarsa is the Indonesian coach who is now taking part
in the course, Gurmilang said. The other national coaches are
actually qualified enough to take part, he added, but their
inability to speak English barred them from joining the course.
Suyono Danusayogo, PASI's vice general secretary, said that
the ongoing educational course for level-two coaches is an IAAF
pilot project.
If successful, IAAF will adopt the course materials and
curriculum as a standard for all its regional development centers
throughout the world, Suyono added.
At present, IAAF's regional development center in Jakarta,
established in July 1988, is the only one in Asia. According to
Gosal, IAAF is going to set up its second Asian development
center in Beijing on Oct. 28., which will group East Asian
countries only. (arf)
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is in dire need of better qualified
track and field coaches to further develop the skills and
techniques of local athletes, an expert of the International
Amateur Athletic Federation says.
"Athletes are only as good as their coaches," Bjorn Wangemann,
IAAF's development director, told The Jakarta Post at an IAAF
administration seminar.
The four-day seminar was attended by representatives of track
and field associations from 13 Asian countries, including Iran,
Maldives, Southeast Asian countries and India.
According to J.E.W. Gosal, director of IAAF's Asian Regional
Development Center, the seminar is aimed at standardizing
technical and administration know-how on athletics. This includes
coaching, marketing and sponsorship, he added.
Commenting on Indonesia's poor performance in the 5th Asian
junior athletic championship, which ended on Tuesday, Bjorn said
Indonesian athletes were not to be blamed.
"It was due to a lack of qualified coaching," Bjorn said. At
the four-day track and field meet, which lasted four days at
Senayan Madya stadium, Indonesia won only one gold medal through
Ferry Junaedi in the men's 10,000m.
According to Bjorn, Indonesian coaches are good but "better
coaches are needed" in order to improve the performance of
Indonesian athletes.
When asked to comment on foreign coaches, Bjorn said hiring
foreign coaches was only good for the few athletes they directly
and personally instructed. Because their span of coaching is
limited, hiring them was not very useful for improving the
quality of Indonesian athletes in general, he added.
Quality
Hence, instead of hiring foreign coaches, Indonesia should
focus on developing the quality of its own coaches, Bjorn
advised.
Gurmilang Kartasasmita, former research and development
official of the Indonesian Athletic Association (PASI), told the
Post that Indonesia has 100 level-one coaches certified by IAAF.
Level-one coaches are those who deal with the coaching of all
aspects of track and field in general. Level-two coaches are more
specialized. Education for level-two coaches entails
specialization in all throwing events, all jumping events,
sprinting and middle and long distance running and walking.
Gurmilang said that there is currently a level-two education
course for level-one coaches at Senayan Madya stadium. National
coach Wita Witarsa is the Indonesian coach who is now taking part
in the course, Gurmilang said. The other national coaches are
actually qualified enough to take part, he added, but their
inability to speak English barred them from joining the course.
Suyono Danusayogo, PASI's vice general secretary, said that
the ongoing educational course for level-two coaches is an IAAF
pilot project.
If successful, IAAF will adopt the course materials and
curriculum as a standard for all its regional development centers
throughout the world, Suyono added.
At present, IAAF's regional development center in Jakarta,
established in July 1988, is the only one in Asia. According to
Gosal, IAAF is going to set up its second Asian development
center in Beijing on Oct. 28., which will group East Asian
countries only. (arf)