Indonesian sports pioneers to receive Seagcon Awards

Indonesian sports pioneers to receive Seagcon Awards

JAKARTA (JP): A former gymnastics athlete, Eva Theodora Butarbutar, and a former chief of the National Gymnastics Association, Pertiwi Hasan, will receive awards from the Southeast Gymnastics Confederation (Seagcon) for their roles in developing the sport in the region.

The awards will be presented in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Seagcon, which will be conducted during the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Butarbutar said yesterday.

"I was surprised to learn that I received the award," she said, "Moreover I'm getting it after having left gymnastics for a long time. Now I can concentrate on my studies."

Awards will also be handed over to male gymnastics athlete Teeruch Popanich of Thailand and Fairnus Miskin of Malaysia.

Butarbutar will obtain "Seagcon Outstanding Gymnastics Award" and Pertiwi will earn the "Seagcon Leadership Award".

Pertiwi is the wife of the Asian Amateur Athletics Association president, Mohammad Bob Hasan, who is also the chief of the Indonesian Gymnastics Association.

According to Antara, the honor is for their accomplishment in introducing and developing gymnastics either in Southeast Asia or in their countries.

Butarbutar has been involved in gymnastics for ten years. She contributed one of three gymnastics gold medals at the 1985 SEA Games in Bangkok.

At the 1987 SEA Games in Jakarta, she also won a gold medal in the vaulting horse competition. Two years later at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur she won one of Indonesia's seven gold medals for the vaulting horse competition.

In addition to the awards, Seagcon will also hand over "Seagcon Pins Achievers" for athletes who have garnered at least 48 points for male and 32 for female in the rhythm gymnastics event. (05)