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)