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