Indonesian shooters set low target of two silvers at Games
Indonesian shooters set low target of two silvers at Games
By Primastuti Handayani
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian shooters surprise everyone in the
19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here two years ago by winning 11
of 42 golds at stake.
The result was the best since the 1977 Games.
Ironically, the National Sports Council (KONI) has only
included shooting in its second-category sports -- which mean the
sports can only win the bronze, maximum -- in the 20th SEA Games
to be held in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.
The Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Association (Perbakin)
states it is being realistic with its target to win only two
silvers in the women's double trap individual and team events.
Team manager and coach Benny Mamoto said, "The target is
realistic because we have seen our contenders' preparations and
due to our problem to provide bullets for our long-term training
program."
Perbakin has been complaining of a price hike in bullets due
to economic turmoil which has affected the country since mid
1997.
Indonesia won gold in the women's double trap team event in
the 1995 Games and 1997 Games and gold in the individual in 1995.
Three Indonesian women shooters, Sarmunah, Rina Dwi
Kusumaningtyas and Titin Indarwati, have been training at the
Indonesian Military's Shooting Training Center in Cilodong,
Bogor, since March. They have been coached by Benny, Slamet Riadi
and Bimo Setyawan.
Perbakin does not send athletes to compete in the men's double
trap, men's trap and men's and women's skeet because it does not
have qualified shooters in those events.
As reported by Kompas, Bimo said, "If we see from their
teamwork and their equal technical skills, I believe they will
manage to win the gold medal."
Perbakin plans to focus on one athlete in the women's trap and
two in the double trap in an effort to contest Thailand in the
events.
"The women's trap in the Games will take place before the
double trap. Our shooters can use the event as a warm-up," Bimo
said.
Perbakin has sent the three shooters to Brunei for adaptation
since July 3. They have competed in two pre-Games competitions.
"It's good that our athletes can stay there before the Games
begin and they can learn something from their rivals in the pre-
Games competitions. The most important thing is that the bullet
price is cheaper in Brunei than here," Benny said, reported Suara
Pembaruan.
In the first competition, from July 3 to July 10, Indonesian
shooters finished first and took the gold. But Perbakin was
displeased with the results as it suspected other countries'
athletes -- from Thailand, Malaysia and host Brunei -- did not
perform maximally.
Perbakin's chief of target shooting commission, Sita Razni,
said athletes competing in the competition did not seem to be
exploring their maximum skills.
"Our shooters failed to perform maximally in the competitions.
I could see it from their scores, which were equal to their
training scores. But they managed to become the champion," Sita
told Republika. "This victory has yet to show anything."
In the second competition, Sita declined to give the results
but said that Indonesian shooters have adapted to the shooting
range.
"At least we have tested the range, although we failed to
monitor on our rivals strength."
Shooting team members: Sarmunah, Rina Dwi Kusumaningtyas,
Titin Indarwati.