Indriyani's records lift Indonesia into world's elite

JAKARTA (JP): Just like the young teenager David who saved his people after years of despair, Sri Indriyani snatched herself world laurels that has put Indonesia into weight lifting's elite.

Indonesia had to wait more than half a century to climb to the top rung of the ladder; until tiny Indriyani stretched her tremendous muscles for three gold medals in the 22nd Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Warsaw over the weekend.

Unlike David, who drew thunderous cheers from thousands of people who later raised him to the throne, Indriyani received a simple reception when she arrived here on Monday.

"Despite this modest reception, I'm more than proud of welcoming Indriyani myself," said Soesilo Soedarman, chairman of the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association to a number of journalists and passers-by who flocked to the arrival gate at Soekarno-Hatta airport.

"It is a historic victory because the association I lead has never won a world-level gold medal since its foundation 56 years ago," Soesilo said after presenting a garland to Indriyani.

Indriyani, who stands just 144 centimeters tall, swept all the three gold medals in a record-breaking spurt of form in the 46- kilogram division at the junior championships, still underway until May 12. Indonesia also sent two boys, Joni Firdaus and Misdan Yunip, to Warsaw, but they returned home empty handed.

Indriyani put her name among the world record holders with her snatch lift of 73kgs which surpassed the old mark set by China's Shan Yong Xie by half a kilogram.

Her victorious attempt in the clean and jerk was 92.5kgs, shattering Japan's Minayagi Kaori's record of 87kgs. Indriyani confirmed her entrance into the elite group of lifters as she scored a total lift of 165kgs, eight kgs heavier than the previous mark also set by China's Shan.

The 17-year-old girl had earlier showed maturity beyond her age when she grabbed a silver in the 18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand and a silver in the Asian Championships in South Korea last year.

"I was nervous when I first stepped up to the stage, because nine heavyweights from Europe and Asia were there competing against me," Indriyani said of her world championships debut.

Discipline and rigorous training sessions paid off for Indriyani who started lifting barbells when she was a 10-year-old girl at a gym near her house in Surakarta.

She received much encouragement from her father, Mulyadi, who was also a lifter, to embark on her career in the sport.

"I work out all the time, even in my spare time, because this sport requires me to keep in good physical shape," the soft- spoken girl said.

The Indonesian weight lifting body recruited Indriyani to join the long-term centralized training program at Bogor, West Java, in 1993 after triumphing in the 13th National Games.

"I was not wrong when I decided to give her a place on the training program, was I?" said an elated Soesilo, who has included a campaign to promote weight lifting nation-wide among his major programs for his second four-year tenure.

Soesilo followed up promoting his campaign by saying: "It's time to contest women's weight lifting in the Olympic Games. It will open up our chances to collect more world laurels." (amd)