Indonesian rowers save energy for final berth
The Jakarta Post, Busan, South Korea
Indonesian rowers opted not to stretch their muscles at Monday's heat races emphasizing that it was much better to secure a place in the final stage first, rather than working hard in the preliminary stages.
"This is part of our strategy not to waste our energy in the earlier stages of the competition," team manager Rudy Susilo told reporters while commenting on his rowers' performance in the race along Busan's Nakdong river.
"It is enough for our rowers to finish second or even third to enter the final race because there are repechage races to secure our final berths."
Rudy, however, said he expected women's rower Pere Karoba to work hard as she had a good chance of getting the bronze medal in the women's single sculls event.
Pere clocked 8:19.42 behind Chinese Zhang Xiuyun, who made 8:9.32 in the event's first heat.
Indonesian men's lightweight four-oars rowers of Rodiaman, Rahmat, Agus Budy Aji and Aldino Maryandi also finished second in their heat with 6:18:76 behind Chinese quartet Sun Jian, Chen Zheng, Wang Bo and Chi Huanqi, who clocked 6:13.52.
Also finishing second in the heat race were Muhammad Anwar and Jamaluddin, who were competing in the men's lightweight double scull event with 6:55.74 following the Japanese rowers of Takeda Daisaku and Ura Kazushige, who finished first with 6:49.26.
Women's lightweight double sculls rowers Weni and Enggelina Ohello earned their place in the repechage races after finishing third with 8:33.65.
Meanwhile, Jamaluddin also had a chance of getting through to the final although he finished fourth in the men's lightweight single sculls clocking 7:32.91.
At Haeundae Beach, only men's beach volleyball players Agus Salim and Koko Prasetyo Darkuncoro of the Indonesia 1 team chalked up victories while their compatriots had to succumb to their respective opponents.
The Indonesia 1 team was forced to a rubber-set match against host players Sim Yeon-sub and Lee Byoung-hee.
The Indonesians won the first set quite easily 21-15, but the Koreans fought back in the second set and won 21-17 in a tight match.
Another tight match was played in the decider before the Indonesians won 22-20.
Earlier in the morning, the Indonesia 1 team defeated Kuwait 21-18, 21-15.
"We were just studying the Kuwaitis' play in the first set. That's why we lost quite a lot of points," Agus told reporters after the match.
Andy Ardiansyah and Supriadi, who make up the Indonesia 2 team, were no match for the China 1 team of Li Hua and Zhao Chicheng, being defeated in straight sets 14-21, 18-21.
A similar result was also recorded by Indonesia's only women's team of Siti Nurjanah and Ni Putu Timy Yudhani Rahayu, who lost their first match to the Thailand 1 team of Pangka Manatsanan and Arlaisuk Rattanaporn.
The Thais won 21-16, 21-16.