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)