KONI to ban Olympic-qualified athletes from taking part in PON

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) will issue notification letters to sports organizations to prevent their athletes who have qualified for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney from competing in the 15th National Games (PON) in Surabaya next July.

KONI secretary-general Rudolf S Warouw told reporters on Wednesday that KONI would officially send notification letters to the organizations and hoped they would understand the matter.

"The decision was made on two factors; first, KONI does not expect the athletes to get injured if they compete in PON, which is only two months away from the Olympics, and second, we don't want athletes' training programs, which aim for them to reach peak form in the Olympics, to be interrupted for PON," he said.

"Hopefully, sports organizations' provincial chapters can understand our decision because we are aiming to reach higher goals in the Olympics," he added.

Indonesia has qualified 13 athletes for the Olympics. They are women's sprinter Irene Truitje Joseph; women's archer Hamdiah; men's swimmers Richard Sam Bera, Wisnu Wardhana, Albert Sutanto, Felix Sutanto and Akbar Nasution; women's swimmer Elsa Manora Nasution; women's diver Shenny Ratna Amelia; women's tae kwon doin Juana Wangsa Putri; women's weightlifters Sri Indriyani and Winarni and men's windsurfer Oka Sulaksana.

The total excludes national shuttlers, who are still competing for the qualification until April 30, 2000. The Badminton Association of Indonesia hopes to qualify 24 shuttlers next year.

Warouw said KONI had thought of handing over incentives to athletes who miss PON as a compensation for their hard training in the Olympics.

"We still have no idea on the exact figure, but maybe the amount will not be as much as the cash bonus from each province," he said.

KONI is still requesting wild cards for women's tennis player Wynne Prakusya and men's tae kwon doin Satrio Rahardani, the 1998 Asian Games silver medalist.

Warouw said former national tennis player Yayuk Basuki could also ask for a wild card to play in the women's doubles along with Wynne in the Olympics.

"The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) could send a letter to KONI and we'll convey the request to the Sydney Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG). But the decision remains in SOCOG's hands," he said.

Separately, the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) outgoing secretary-general, Barmawi Chaidir, said that PASI would not mind the new instructions as athletes needed less risks prior to a big competition.

"But PASI can't make its own decisions because we must also listen to our chapters' opinion. They have groomed athletes from a young age and I believe they want to see their performances in PON," he said.

Irene expressed hope that she would not have to compete in PON.

"Definitely, I'll focus on the Olympics in the two special events of the 100- and 200-meter dash. If I have to compete in PON, I will have to run more than two events. It would make me exhausted," she said.

Irene had to run in three events -- 100, 200 and 400 meters -- in the recently concluded national championships representing Maluku where she injured her feet.

"I don't really care if I have to lose the cash bonus because performing in the Olympics is more important." (yan)