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.