Language constraint hampers Indonesian athletic coaches

Language constraint hampers Indonesian athletic coaches

Musthofid
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Language constraints is still a major impediment in efforts to
upskill Indonesian track and field coaches, according to a top
official of the country's athletics governing body PASI.

"Improving our coaches' skills has always been part of our
development program. But it appears that language is still a
barrier because the majority of them know little English," PASI's
general secretary Tigor Tanjung told reporters after the opening
of an international coaching course at the Regional Development
(RDC) headquarters here on Friday.

Organized by the Jakarta-based RDC and sanctioned by
international amateur athletics body IAAF, the course aims to
upgrade the participants's skills in training middle and long-
distance runners and walkers.

Called the Coaching Education and Certification System (CECS)
course, the half-month-long clinic will accredit a successful
participant with a CECS Level II certificate.

The clinic, which is led by lecturers Norman Osborne of
Australia and Graham Tattersall of New Zealand, involves eleven
coaches from seven Asian countries. Indonesia is represented by
Mulyadi from East Java and Bambang Feriyanto from Papua.

The foreign participants have come from Malaysia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Indonesia would have enrolled more on the program, but, as
Tigor said, not many of them were eligible, principally because
of their poor English.

"The level II course is conducted in English, while many of
them communicate in English poorly," he said.

PASI is tentatively preparing 14 athletes for the 2002 Asian
Games. Tigor said that two of the three trainers in the middle
and long-distance running classes were only equipped with a Level
I certificate.

RDC director Ria Lumintuarso urged the clinics participants to
use the opportunity to pass on the new coaching information in
their respective countries.

The Jakarta-based RDC, which is one of only two regional
athletic centers in Asia, is also planning to hold a number of
other programs this year, including a medical seminar, a
discussion on the women's steeplechase and childrens' athletics.