Indonesian archers miss overseas tryout

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian women's archery team will miss its last chance for an overseas tryout in Slovenia, its final tune-up prior to the Olympic Games.

National Olympic team project officer Subardi Suar told The Jakarta Post and the RCTI TV station yesterday that the organizers of the 25th Outdoor Target Archery Championships in Kranjskagora, Slovenia ruled out any participation of countries outside Europe and the Mediterranian.

The tournament will take place from June 17 to June 23.

Subardi indicated while observing a training session at the Senayan archery range that there will be no tryout abroad for the women archers. Instead, they will only play a simulation game in two weeks.

"I know that an overseas stint is very important for the team's preparation, both technically and mentally. But I don't think that the tryout is the only way to observe their progress," Subardi argued.

Earlier, the archery team had canceled its plan to take part in an Olympic warm-up tournament in Atlanta, held from April 9 to April 14 at the venue designated for the Games. Coach Daniel Lumalesil dropped the plan after learning that his players performed poorly in several previous tournaments.

National Sports Council vice chairman Arie Sudewo and Vice President of the Citibank Asia-Pacific Consumer Bank Farid Aidid watched yesterday's scoring test.

Nurfitriyana Saiman Lantang, Dahliana, Hamdiah Damanhuri, juniors Elizabeth Sumampouw and Suhartini, as well as veteran Purnama Pandiangan, took part in the scoring test yesterday.

Nurfitriyana hit the highest score of 631 out of possible 720 points, followed by Dahliana with 629 and Hamdiah with 604.

The Olympic archery elimination competition requires 64 female archers to hit a 70-meter target in 12 series, during each of which they have to shoot six arrows.

Subardi said that the three-member national Olympic archery team will be announced by the end of this month.

Archery has been considered one of Indonesia's potential medal-winning sports at the Olympics, but Subardi declined to talk about the prospects.

"I'm optimistic that the team will do their best. Hopefully they can earn a silver medal as they did in Seoul eight years ago," he said.

Nurfitriyana, Purnama and Kusumawardhani formed a silver winning team in the 1988 Olympics, giving Indonesia its first- ever medal. (yan)