Indonesia strives to dominate rowing
Indonesia strives to dominate rowing
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia plans to maintain its winning streak at the 18th Southeast Asian Games traditional boat races despite the unfamiliar sculls.
"There is no reasons for a humble showing, although we will use longer and heavier sculls," chairman of the Indonesian Rowing Association, Basoeki, said during an international boat races at Ancol, North Jakarta, yesterday.
"We have enjoyed triumph in this event for such a long time, wherever we competed and whatever difference in equipment we encountered," he said.
The traditional boat races in the 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand will offer seven gold medals. Three of them are at stake in the inaugural women's competition.
The association has set its sight on winning at least five golds at the biennial event. Indonesia took three out of four golds up for grabs in the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore.
Basoeki said his 40 men's and women's SEA Games rowers are becoming accustomed to using the new type of sculls required by the Games organizing committee.
"I don't see any harm in these strange sculls to our athletes so far," Basoeki said.
He said that his big worry is about Myanmar team, which dashed to double victories in the China Invitational Race in Guangzhou, China, last week. Myanmar eased past China and SEA Games national teams from Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia. Indonesia skipped the event.
Myanmar finished behind Indonesia in three races during the 1993 SEA Games, but Basoeki said the Myanmarese have been progressing rapidly.
Indonesian teams are now undergoing their last proving ground at the two-day Nusantara international boat races. Singapore and Brunei are the only visiting teams. A four-month delay forced other regular boat race participants to skip the event, the second held by Indonesia since 1992.
The national championship race highlighted yesterday's action, with Central Java triumphing in the men's 800-meter race. The races resume today with the international event finals in the 400m and 800m races. (amd)