KONI focuses on physical fitness for KL SEA Games

KONI focuses on physical fitness for KL SEA Games

JAKARTA (JP): The poor physical condition of Indonesia's
Olympians has forced the National Sports Council (KONI) to focus
harder on the improvement of athletes in order to prepare them
for the Kuala Lumpur 2001 SEA Games.

As a consequence, KONI has started its decentralized training
programs early this month with the aim of maintaining athletes'
physical fitness.

"It's evident from our evaluation that our athletes are
lacking physical fitness. Besides, we can't wait too long for the
contingent to be organized," KONI's official in charge of
athletes' development, Muhammad Hindarto, told reporters Friday
after a meeting between KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar and
sports organization officials on the preparation for the SEA
Games.

"We have called 1,125 athletes to join the physical fitness
training session which will end in December. They will each
receive a monthly allowance of Rp 250,000 while coaches get Rp
450,000."

The number of athletes to attend the training sessions are
double the actual size of the squad to be sent to Kuala Lumpur in
August.

"Pak Wismoyo asked the organizations to submit proposals on
their targets and how they will achieve them for further
discussion. KONI will then set up its own target based on the
proposals," Hindarto said.

He also ordered KONI officials to monitor the decentralized
training center to ensure all athletes are sticking to their
assignments.

"We will send 15 observers across the country to closely
monitor the athletes."

Hindarto also said there will be a selection based on physical
fitness in January before the centralized training camp takes
place in February.

"We expect to have about 150 percent of the actual number of
athletes and the final number of about 600 athletes will be
achieved in May," he said. "The athletes will then undergo try-
out sessions in June until August."

Hindarto also revealed that athletics, badminton, boxing,
judo, and pencak silat had started their own centralized training
programs ahead of KONI's schedule.

Badminton

Separately, training director at the Badminton Association of
Indonesia (PBSI) Christian Hadinata said Indonesia aimed to
become the overall champion in the badminton event at the
biennial event.

He said that PBSI would later determine whether it should
field its second stringers or top players to fulfill the
ambition.

"Our main target is to be the overall winner of the badminton
event, meaning we want to win the majority of the seven gold
medals offered in the SEA Games. We must be the best among the
southeast Asian countries," he said.

Indonesia grabbed five of the seven golds at stake in the 1999
SEA Games in Brunei Darussalam, losing in the men's and mixed
doubles.

Christian said however that Indonesian shuttlers could no
longer defeat their rivals easily as Southeast Asian shuttlers
have developed equal skills.

"There will be some Southeast Asian shuttlers who can block
our players' way to victory specially in the singles event. Take
for example the Malaysian men's singles and doubles who are
world-class players."

He also said Indonesian women's shuttlers must improve
themselves to remain at the top of the region.

"Our women's players have to work hard if they want to beat
Malaysia or Thailand. We were powerful when we had Susi Susanti
and Mia Audina, but now we are equal with other countries.

"Some countries like Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and the
Netherlands can even beat them," said Christian, a former
national men's doubles player.

He said he still put his hopes for gold on the men's shut
tlers.

"Our men's singles and doubles players are still promising.
Although they lost in the Asian championships, they managed to
create a tight set and even play the rubber set." (nvn/ivy)