KONI may call on Supriati for Asian Games
KONI may call on Supriati for Asian Games
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Sports Council (KONI) is considering the
selection of veteran athletes for the Pusan 2002 Asian Games,
hinting that it will ask middle and long-distance runner Supriati
to take to the track again.
The newly-appointed project manager for the Indonesian team to
the Asiad, Rudolf Warouw, looks to be nurturing hopes that
Supriati, the country's prominent track and field star, would be
back from retirement in time for the Korean trip.
However, Rudolf, who is also KONI's secretary general, was
non-commital about the possibility of pursuing Supriati's
comeback.
"No. I just heard that Supriati would retire. But who knows
whether she'll change her mind. We will talk with the (track and
field) association," Rudolf told reporters after his appointment
here on Thursday.
The games will be held in the South Korean seaport city from
Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.
Supriati has decided to stay away from competition for an
"indefinite time" because of her family commitments, after she
competed at the recently concluded 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games in Kuala Lumpur.
KONI spokesman Ahmed Solihin said that as long as Supriati did
not submit a formal notification of her retirement, a return to
the track could not be ruled out.
Indonesia tentatively plans to send 175 athletes to compete in
20 events, for which around Rp 27 billion (US$2.7 million) in
funding will be sought. It will cover athletes' training, two
overseas outings, the contingent dispatch and bonuses.
Indonesia grabbed six gold medals with 128 athletes competing
in 21 events at the 1998 Bangkok Asiad. Supriati contributed one
gold medal in the 5,000 meters.
After flopping in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia will be hoping to
make amends in Pusan.
Rudolf refused to elaborate on how many medals Indonesia would
seek. "It's too early. We are simply looking for a better
achievement," he said.
Expectations that Supriati will emulate her triumphant run in
Bangkok, should she join the team, could be deemed excessive
given the competition she would be likely to face.
Supriati won the 5,000 meter gold in Kuala Lumpur in a time of
16 minutes and 08 seconds, which was far below her Bangkok time
of 15:54.
The Pusan arena would likely provide her with the daunting
prospect of facing the likes of Dong Yan Mei of China, who has
clocked a best time of 15:03.
"You can assess yourself how the odds look. There is a chance,
albeit slim," Tigor Tanjung, the secretary general of the
Indonesia Amateur Athletics Association (PASI), told The Jakarta
Post, while leaving the decision to Supriati.
KONI also appointed I.G.K. Manila as deputy project manager,
Imron Z.S. as the training director and C.E.W. Gozal as deputy
training director.
Athletes will start a centralized training camp in January.