Judo squad aims to defend record

Judo squad aims to defend record

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian judo team, which has just carried out a 24-day
training workout in Japan, is optimistic it can win four gold
medals at the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, according to
a team official.

The 15-strong team, escorted by coach Hayashi Masao of Japan,
had a training camp at the Kodoukan Institute in Tokyo, during
which the players sparred with members of the Tokyo Metropolitan
Police Judo Club and a students from a judo club from Waseda
University, Nagoya.

The national team's project officer, Sadik AlGadri, told a
press conference that the workout at the world-class training
camp had met expectations in that it had lifted the athletes'
morale.

Sadik said the team was determined to win four gold medals as
they did at the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games in 2001.

The Indonesian gold medalists were Kresna Bayu, Dwi Sihmanto,
I Wayan Sutikno and Endang Sri Lestari.

Indonesia's best medal prospects will still lie on seniors
Kresna Bayu in the men's under-100 kilogram weight class, I Wayan
Sutikno in the men's under 73 kilogram division, Endang Sri
Lestari in the women's under-57 kilogram division, and Aprilia
Marzuki in the women's under 70 kilogram division.

Aprilia, who was a silver medalist in Kuala Lumpur, was not in
the team's Japanese tour.

She is currently training in Germany and will join teammates
on Nov. 20, two weeks before their departure to Vietnam.

The next biennial multi-event sporting showcase will run from
Dec. 4 to 13 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Hayashi said the Indonesian team basically had good fighting
skills, although they were generally still lacking in power.

"But we still have time to work it out," said Hayashi.

After the training trip to Japan from Oct. 20 to Nov. 7, the
team will continue their preparations at the national training
camp in Ciloto, West Java, for two weeks.

Sadik said the athletes would not be allowed to take leave
during Idul Fitri Muslim holiday for fear they might lose their
fighting fire. Though, their families will be welcome to visit
them.

Given the Kuala Lumpur medal tally, Thailand will definitely
be the heaviest rival, as well as host Vietnam, which is reported
to have taken intensive training in Japan.

In Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia finished second after Thailand with
a total of 12 medals: four gold, three silver and five bronze.
The Thai squad bagged seven gold, six silver and a bronze.

In third place was Myanmar, followed by the Philippines,
Vietnam, Singapore, Laos and Malaysia.