Indonesia sends team to Informatics Olympiad

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Education and Culture has picked four high school students to participate in the International Olympiad in Informatics in Antalya, Turkey from Oct. 9 to Oct. 16.

Hendy Irawan from Kediri, East Java, Anugrah Radja Kusuma from Jakarta, Johan Mustika Kartiwa from Bandung, West Java, and Sony Raditya Suryawijaya from Magelang, Central Java were selected from 222 applicants by a team of Jakarta-based University of Indonesia and Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University lecturers.

The quartet departed for Turkey on Friday, accompanied by two of the team selectors, Suryana of the University of Indonesia and Paulus Santosa of Gadjah Mada University.

Suryana told a media conference on Thursday that the students had undergone six weeks of intensive training in Yogyakarta in order to prepare for the annual event.

A regular participant since 1995, Indonesia has always walked away with medals except for 1996. It won the event in 1997 with Andi Kurnia of Jakarta.

Indonesia, meanwhile, will host the Asian Olympiad in Physics in 2000. The scientific competition will be held at Pelita Harapan University from April 24 to May 2 next year. The event's committee chairman Yohanes Surya said on Thursday that 10 countries had confirmed their participation.

Yohanes said Indonesia would bid to host the International Physics Olympiad in 2002. (04)