Indonesia stumbles in SEA Games tae kwon do

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Indonesia had a letdown in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games tae kwon do event when no gold medals went into its coffers at the conclusion of the program on Wednesday.

During four days of competition, Indonesia only managed to bag one gold, won by Sinta Berliana Heru in the women's middleweight on Sunday's opening day. Indonesia also took three silvers, including one from its lone finalist on Wednesday, Andri Halim, and six bronzes.

The outcome was a setback, compared to a six gold medal haul Indonesia notched on home soil two years ago.

It also capped preceding gloomy days for the Indonesian side, which was still mourning the death of its Olympic hopeful, Dominggos Boro, who was killed in a car crash in Karawang, West Java on Tuesday.

At Indonesia's expense, Malaysia and the Philippines topped the gold medals standing with four each, followed by Vietnam with three.

Two-time winner Andri narrowly missed his bid to complete a hat trick of a gold medal on Wednesday, when he was outclassed by Nguyen Van Hung of Vietnam in the men's heavyweight final. Nguyen won the bout 5-0.

Bronze medals went to Malaysian Mohd Saleh Zainol Abas and Philippine's hopeful Gerard Anthony Pingoy.

The Indonesian Tae kwon do Association (TI) chairman, Suharto, who watched his team's only hope go up in smoke, said he was not disappointed with the outcome, noting that the national squad was made up mostly of second stringers.

Indonesia had set a mild target of winning three golds.

"This is a precious lesson for us. The SEA Games is the right place for our second stringers to feel the pressure of playing in international competition," Suharto said.

He credited Vietnam's team, which placed its athletes in almost all of the finals.

Earlier in the day, a protest marred a men's bantamweight semifinal, in which Indonesia's best hope in the event, Derry Dermansyah Maulana, lost to eventual champion Jefferthom Go of the Philippines 3-4. Derry had to be content with the bronze.

Indonesia's South Korean coach Oh Il-nam challenged the decision, saying the judges were unfair in ignoring Derry's double kicks in the dying minute.

When Indonesia's protest was ruled out, an angry Oh stood up in the middle of the stage and took off his jacket before the referee led him out.

Oh shouted at the judges, denouncing them before he went to the changing room to calm Derry, who was in tears.

"Don't cry! For me, you are the winner," Oh said to the athlete.

Oh refused to comment on the controversial decision.

The Philippines' Go took the gold after defeating Duc Son of Vietnam, who clinched a superiority win over Thailand's Jatupone Anyamaneewong in the other semifinal.

Two other Indonesian tae kwon do athletes who competed on Wednesday, women's heavyweight Santi Agustina and women's bantamweight Desy Nurhayati, also failed in the semifinals.

Santi lost to Thi Thanh On Ho of Vietnam 0-3, while rookie Desy fought haplessly in her 0-4 defeat to another Vietnamese, Tran Hieu Ngan. (yan)