KONI relegates lifters from 2002 Asian Games priority list
KONI relegates lifters from 2002 Asian Games priority list
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Sports Council (KONI) has decided to drop four
weightlifters from the priority list for the 2002 Asian Games
after criticisms of bias were found with the eligibility
assessment.
PABBSI, the national body governing weightlifting,
powerlifting and bodybuilding, formerly had its four lifters
Erwin Abdullah, Sri Indriyani, Lisa Rumbewas and Rosmaniar on the
41-member list of top priority athletes.
Representing 12 different sports, the priority athletes are
supposed to have met the criteria set by KONI and are then given
priority in the preparation in an effort to foster any realistic
prospect of winning gold medals.
However, the weightlifting list has been the target of
criticisms as Rosmaniar does not appear to meet the criteria.
Competing in the 48kg category, She only finished fourth at the
recent Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Her position is two levels shy of one of the three
requirements set by KONI that the athletes, in search of an entry
for the national contingent in Pusan, should be KL SEA Games
finalists.
Other names, who should have been included in the list, were
inexplicably bypassed by PABBSI. Among them are Misdan Yunip,
Yadi Setiyadi, Tati Pratiwi and Junaedi. With the exception of
Tati who is from Central Java, the lifters are all from the
Lampung training center.
The first three won gold medals in Kuala Lumpur, while Junaedi
was a silver medalist.
The decision drew allegations that the weightlifting
association was biased in the selection procedure especially when
it was up against Lampung lifters, widely recognized as the
country's top group of competitors in the sport.
"We have talked with PABBSI officials and it appears they made
mistakes in their prioritizing procedure," Imron ZS, the training
director, told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at KONI
headquarters on Monday.
Imron said PABBSI had originally put aside two groups of four
lifters each. "But it seemed that it had proposed the wrong
group," he said.
The cancellation from the priority list means that the lifters
will join the other four names, all being regarded as second
choices in KONI's policy.
The lifters will start the training camp next January, along
with other athletes from judo, billiards, archery, athletics and
beach volleyball.
Meanwhile, the official start of training for top priority
athletes was early this month, however, many of them have not
joined the camp yet.
"We will go through another decision process and see who
manages to make an improvement and who has the better medal
prospects," Imron said.
Each team in the weightlifting competition in Pusan will be
allowed to participate in up to five categories.
"Our strategy is that we will make a big push in the
categories that China does not field its lifters," Imron said,
referring to efforts to avoid competition with the powerful
Chinese team.