Karate body mulls hiring Japanese coach
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Karate-do Federation (Forki) may attempt to reprise a winning formula in international competition by hiring a coach from Japan.
Forki secretary-general Hendardji said on Wednesday the association would add more coaches to its national training program, including one from the country where the sport originated.
"We're considering hiring a foreign coach from Japan, but we cannot disclose the name or when the foreign coach would arrive here at this time."
Under Japanese coaches Murazaki and Suzuki, Indonesia won 14 golds at the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. At the most recent Games in Hanoi in 2003, the team could only muster four golds.
"We hope to get the same success with the new Japanese coach," he said.
Hendarji also announced the federation would hold trials on March 18-20 here to choose karatekas for the national training center for the 2005 Asian Karate Federation (AKF) championship and SEA Games.
He said most athletes invited to participate were winners and runners up in national competitions since 2002, including those in the 2002 Army Chief's Cup, the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Home Affairs Minister's Cup, the pre-National Games 2004 tournament and the 2004 National Games.
"Winners of the national selection in every class will join the national training center (for AKF championship and SEA Games)," he said.
The AKF championship is scheduled to be held in May in Jakarta, while the SEA Games will take place in November in Manila.
Head of the national selection organizing committee Dasril Muchtar said that some 200 karatekas in 17 weight classes would participate in the trials.
"In the national selection, we will use the system of half competition in two pools," he said.
The trials, to be held at the Youth Sports Hall in East Jakarta, limit the age of participants to under 28 years.
All participants will be weighed on March 17 to decide their weight divsions.
Dasril confirmed that Acehnese karateka Bambang Maulidin and Yogyakarta's Kartika Ekawati, who were earlier released from the Indonesia Awakens (IA) program that is grooming athletes for the 2006 Asian Games, would take part in the national trials.
Bambang, who was let go from IA due to a prolonged injury and an undisclosed personal reason, was a champion of the 2002 Army Chief's Cup and runner up in the 2004 National Games.
Kartika, who gave up her place for university study, won the 2004 Home Affairs Minister's Cup at the junior level.