KONI told to learn from setback

KONI told to learn from setback

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday urged the National
Sports Council (KONI) to undertake a self-examination following
Indonesia's below-target showing in the Atlanta Olympic Games.

State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman
quoted Soeharto as suggesting yesterday that the sports council
find out the causes of the modest outcome and draw up viable
plans to ensure the country does better in the 2000 Olympics in
Sydney.

Indonesia, fielding a 41-strong Olympic team figuring in 11
sports, finished 41st in the Atlanta medal table, with one gold,
one silver and two bronze medals. All came from badminton, the
country's most popular sport.

Four years ago in Barcelona, it was placed 24th with two
golds, two silvers and one bronze, also from badminton.

"I'm sorry about the national team's failure to maintain its
1992 performance," Hayono said.

The president was also concerned about the badminton flop in
the Olympics, saying that such a feat was an anticlimax after
Indonesia's double victory in the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup in May,
according to Hayono.

"We should have been done better," Hayono quoted Soeharto as
saying.

Indonesia's lone gold medal this year came from its men's
doubles team of Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky, the silver from
women's singles Mia Audina and the bronzes from badminton queen
Susi Susanti and another men's pair of Denny Kantono and Antonius
Irianto.

Commenting on the presidential rap over KONI's knuckles, noted
sports observer Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar suggested that
Indonesia should rely on just three sports in the upcoming
Olympics.

"Based on the results from Atlanta, three potential medal
winners for the next Olympics are badminton, boxing and
weightlifting," the former KONI secretary-general told The
Jakarta Post.

Earlier this year, the president had asked the council to send
only potential medal winners from four sports: badminton,
archery, boxing and tennis.

Badminton

Siregar first opted to focus on badminton, the country's best
hope in the Olympics, saying that the Badminton Association of
Indonesia should start scouting new talent in the men's and
women's singles, women's and mixed doubles.

Siregar, the former training director of the association, said
that except for Mia, Indonesia has no more women's shuttlers of
an equivalent standard.

"The association has to select young women shuttlers, aged
around 18, to be trained at the association's base camp. For
men's shuttlers, we need some 21-year-olds," he said.

As for boxing, Siregar said that national fighters need more
rigorous physical training sessions. "Our boxers lack physical
fitness," he said.

He also stressed the importance of providing the boxers with
as many try-outs as possible. Indonesian boxers had competed in
only two tournaments in Cuba in the run up to Atlanta.

Siregar predicted that weightlifting could carry Indonesia's
torch in the next Olympics. "Since the 1972 Munich Olympics,
Indonesian lifters always managed to finish among top 12. It's a
good achievement," he said.

The sports observer criticized the Indonesian archery team
which dropped its plan to take part in overseas tournaments prior
to the Olympics, but said that it deserves another chance to line
up in the national Olympic team. (arf/yan)