KONI hopes to secure tentative lineup today

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) is expected to set up the tentative lineup for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Tuesday after meeting with coaches and officials of 20 sports undergoing training for the Games.

Moch. Hindarto, who is in charge of athletes development, said on Monday that he would focus on the progress of the training and medal targets of nine sports before formulating the lineup. By then, he will also decide which of the 448 athletes from 20 sports will compete in the biennial event.

He refused to name the sports, but indicated that they were mostly team events.

Indonesia is grooming five team events -- basketball, hockey, sepak takraw, soccer and water polo -- out of the 20 sports listed for the SEA Games, which will be held for the first time in Brunei Darussalam in August.

"We want to know what they really want to achieve in Brunei. At least they can guarantee that their athletes can win bronzes. Based on our evaluation, the nine sports will face difficulties in gaining gold medals. We want them to make an introspection," he said.

Hindarto earlier said training programs on hockey and soccer were poor.

"Soccer and hockey just started training in June," he said. "But we still have high hopes for soccer because it managed to reach the final during the 1997 SEA Games," he added. Indonesia lost 2-4 to Thailand in a penalty shootout in the 1997 SEA Games held here.

KONI's chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar is expected to approve the tentative lineup on Wednesday as the SEA Games list of athletes' entry forms will be submitted personally by Hindarto to the Games organizers in Bandar Seri Begawan on Friday. The deadline for entries is July 10.

Separately, the Indonesian Karate Federation (Forki) will invite a Japanese coach to brief 35 karatekas who are being groomed for the Games.

Forki's secretary-general Col. Hendardji S. told reporters on Monday Forki's official G.H. Pesik would meet officials of the Japan Karate-do Association (JKA) when he accompanies the 15 women karatekas to compete in the Ladies Open in Japan.

"The Japanese coach will not change the overall training programs, but he will correct our technical skills," he said.

He expressed optimism that his karatekas could grab at least seven golds, or half the 14 golds Indonesia got during the 1997 SEA Games.

Hendardji also commented on the new rule set by the organizers that each participating country should send only one karateka for each class division. Previously, each country could send at least two karatekas for a class.

He said he had sent a letter to karate federations in several Southeast Asian countries and to KONI's officials to ask Games organizers to review the rule.(ivy)