Junior boxers need more time for SEAG

Junior boxers need more time for SEAG

JAKARTA (JP): The head coach of the Indonesian boxing team for
the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Carlos J. Penate Torres,
said on Monday that national junior boxers have yet to be
prepared to compete in multisports events.

"I have been supervising the training of 12 juniors. They are
ready to fight in the 2003 SEA Games instead of next year's
event. They know nothing about boxing and they need to increase
their competitiveness," he said.

Seven of his 12 boxers have been invited to join the SEA Games
training. The Indonesian Boxing Association (Pertina) has listed
28 boxers for the training program. The number of boxers will be
reduced to 11 before the Games.

The seven boxers are Bonix Saweho (finweight), Karel Muskanan
(flyweight), Mohammad Ibrahim (featherweight), Roland Latuni
(light flyweight), Melky Lelemboto (Light flyweight), Afriadin
(bantamweight) and Jaya La Goga (welterweight).

Carlos said each boxer had to fight in, at least, 25 official
competitions annually but Indonesian boxers currently only
perform in an average of nine competitions.

"It's not enough for Indonesian boxers to perform in only nine
competitions. They must also fight in a competition which has
umpires and lots of spectators. It's good for their psychological
development," the Cuban coach said.

He also expressed regret that Indonesia had been too slow in
developing its juniors.

"When I came to Indonesia early this year, I found seven
senior boxers here. But there were no young boxers to replace
them when their seniors quit the ring," he said.

"The juniors only know how to fight but do not understand
counter fighting, which is indispensable in modern boxing. They
only strike their rivals but they don't use their brain to
develop their effectiveness," he said while pointing his finger
at his temple.

Torres said he had set up a long-term program for his junior
boxers so that they could still train when their coach wasn't
available. Torres' contract ended in December.

Meanwhile, Pertina's deputy secretary general Didiet Soedijoto
said that the Cuba sport federation has agreed to extend Torres'
contract for another one year.

"My contract is extended for one year until the SEA Games is
over. After that, I don't know. But I will agree to extend my
contract if I can bring my wife and children to Indonesia,"
Torres said.

In a related development, Didiet said that the President of
international amateur boxing association (AIBA) Prof. Anwar
Chowdry has asked Pertina last month to train women boxers.

Didiet said the Indonesian women boxers would be selected to
compete in the women's world amateur boxing championships in New
York, next November. The selection procedure will take place in
China sometime in June or July next year.

Didiet said Pertina has yet to respond to the request, but he
himself did not agree on the idea to train women for boxing.

"I don't see any reason why we should make preparations to
train female boxers, when we need to initially focus on improving
our male boxers," he was quoted by Antara as saying. (ivy)