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)