KONI picks up archer Hamdiah for Olympics

KONI picks up archer Hamdiah for Olympics

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Archery Association (Perpani)
finally named only Hamdiah to compete in the individual event of
the Olympic Games in Sydney next month.

The Olympics executive training deputy Imron Z. Syarifuddin
said Hamdiah outclassed teammates Nurfitriyana Lantang Saiman and
Lusia Elizabeth Sampow in the championships in South Korea from
Aug. 9 to Aug. 16.

"The overseas tryout in South Korea showed that Hamdiah
managed to perform better than Nurfitriyana and Lusia," he told
reporters Friday after meeting with representatives from 10
sports organizations.

Perpani's Secretary General Udi Harsono said there was no hope
for the team events, consisting of three archers, to earn an
Olympic ticket.

"We don't expect for any special invitation from the
International Olympics Committee (IOC). It's getting more
difficult now to get a berth for our team event," he said after
the meeting.

Hamdiah qualified for the Olympics after she managed to reach
the quarterfinals of the 40th World Archery Tournament in Riom,
France, last year. In the quarterfinals, however, she bowed out
to South Korean top archer Lee Kyung-eun.

Imron said the Indonesian contingent would officially be set
up at the National Sports Council (KONI) headquarters on Tuesday.

President Abdurrahman Wahid is expected to meet the contingent
to give his blessings between Aug. 25 and Aug. 31, he said. The
contingent will leave Jakarta in three batches on Sept. 1, Sept.
5 and Sept. 10.

Imron quoted Olympics executive training director Arie Sudewo
as saying that athletes who failed to join the Olympics team
would be later groomed for the 2001 Southeast Asian Games in
Kuala Lumpur.

"Pak Arie asks athletes not to lose their hope. They are still
potential athletes although they are excluded from the Olympics
team. We still need them to be groomed for SEA Games in the
training program that starts next month," he said.

Arie has also confirmed that all the athletes were free from
illegal drugs. "None of the Olympics athletes failed the drug
test as reported by KONI's official in charge of the sports
science commission Carmen Jahja."

Speaking on the contingents, Imron said KONI has decided to
send seven coaches and one team manager from the Badminton
Association of Indonesia. He said the other sports were only
allocated for one coach and one team manager.

However KONI has asked for Passed Cards (P-cards) from SOCOG
to be given to additional coaches or practicing partners.

"The P-card will be granted to two track and field coaches,
Pieter Noya and Nicky Pattiasina, swimming coach Radja Nasution,
weightlifting coach Lukman and women's tae kwon doin Rahadewi
Neta as practicing partner for Juana Wangsa Putri," Imron said.

Badminton, windsurfing and boxing associations had also asked
for P-cards but Imron said that SOCOG would only approve five
cards.

"I think other sports will not complain because we prioritize
with badminton," he said.

In a related development, Secretary General of the Indonesian
Amateur Athletic Association (PASI) Tigor M. Tanjung confirmed
that men's sprinter Yanes Raubaba would still compete in the
quadrennial event despite a bout of typhoid which affected him
last week. Yanes will miss the Asian Track and Field
Championships here at the end of this month. (ivy)