KONI calls on coaches for SEAG preparations

JAKARTA (JP): To intensify its preparations for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August, the National Sports Council (KONI) plans to hold a meeting with coaches from 20 sports bodies on May 8.

KONI official in charge of athlete development Moch. Hindarto said on Friday the meeting would help the coaches arrange training programs to better prepare their athletes for the SEA Games.

Hindarto said Paulus Pasurney, an expert at KONI, also would attend the meeting. Paulus led Indonesian shuttlers to victory in the Thomas Cup in 1998.

The meeting was called following poor results in physical fitness tests conducted by six of the sports bodies preparing their athletes for the biennial Games. The six sports bodies are basketball, tenpin bowling, boxing, diving, golf and karate.

"We predict results from other athletes will probably be the same. That's why we are going to hold a meeting with the coaches on May 8," Hindarto said.

To supervise the training programs of the 20 sports bodies, KONI divided the sports into four groups. Each group will be supervised by an expert.

The first group consists of track and field, badminton, swimming, squash and tennis. The second group comprises basketball, billiards and snooker, hockey, soccer and rowing. The third group includes cycling, shooting, sepak takraw, taekwondo and table tennis. The last group consists of bowling, golf, karate, pencak silat and boxing.

"We'll choose experts to supervise the groups from the school of sports teachers," Hindarto said.

KONI also will hold a meeting on May 15 to urge coaches to give proper attention to their athletes' psychological condition.

Indonesia hopes to win SEA Games medals in four sports: karate, taekwondo, badminton and pencak silat. Hindarto said KONI also was considering giving special attention to the training programs for track and field and swimming. (ivy)