Indonesia set no target in swim meet

JAKARTA (JP): The country has no gold medal target for the fourth ASEAN Schools Swimming Championship at Senayan despite the presence of seven team members from the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam.

Team manager Marhot Harahap said the swimmers only wanted to do their best in the event, which has 42 swimmers competing from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

"I don't want to talk about a medal target. We only won three bronzes in the same championships held in Thailand in 1997. This year, we want to do better than this," he said.

Indonesia's 10 swimmers include Hendrik Eko AP., Steven Chandra, M. Akbar Nasution, Siripiya Sutanto, Ati Yuliani, Nancy Suryaatmadja and Dyah Ayu Rahmini, all of whom competed in the SEA Games. The remaining swimmers are Hanny D. Prasetyo, Delfina C. and Herry Yudhianto.

Steven won a gold in the men's 400m freestyle on Monday, clocking 4:09.21. Thai's swimmers won four golds from Pornlada Srisawat in the women's 400m freestyle, Piyawat Kratihumitikul in the men's 100m backstroke, Thida Tonpongsatorn in the women's 100m backstroke and Parichat Suksupak in the women's 100m butterfly. Malaysia earned one gold through Lubrey Lim Yu-lung in the men's 100m butterfly.

Thailand and Malaysia, the two countries which dominated the pool during the Games, will try to retain supremacy in the championship.

Thailand is eying 10 golds and Malaysia has set a target of three.

Four of the 10 Thai swimmers -- Non Poonchaisri, Anurat Tinaruxpong, Rungrot Bunsekaew and Parichat -- also competed in Brunei. Malaysia also included SEA Games swimmers Cindy Ong Pik- yin, Kimberley Yap Fui-li and Siew Yi-ting among its 10 swimmers.

"We want to grab 10 golds. We regard Indonesian swimmers as tough rivals for our swimmers," said Thai coach Taweechoak Pongdee.

Malaysian head coach Mazlan Abdullah said that Ong, Yap, Siew and two other swimmers, Siew Ting-king and Lim, also were being groomed for the 2001 SEA Games in Malaysia.

"We set a very modest target of three golds in the championship. This event will provide chances for our five swimmers, currently groomed for the 2001 SEA Games, to gain experience," he said. (ivy)