Language constraints hampers athletics tutor

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.