Lifter Sriyani dropped from Asian Games squad

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association has expelled Sriyani from the training center for the upcoming 13th Asian Games due to her indisciplined conduct.

The association's secretary-general, Djoko Pramono, said yesterday that Sri, as her friends call the 63-kilogram class gold medalist at the 19th Southeast Asian Games, had been missing from the training center in Pringsewu, Lampung, for one month without any explanation.

"Although Sri has good international achievements, we dropped her from the squad because of her indiscipline," he said.

Earlier this year, national lifter Patmawati, double gold medalist at the World Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last December, had to leave the other training center in Gadog, Bogor, due to a recurring shoulder injury.

She is undergoing medical treatment on the request of the National Sports Council's sports science center.

With Sriyani's dismissal, seven lifters are left in the running for the final Asiad selection, due next month. They are Sri Indriyani, Winarni and Supeni on the women's division and Taufik, Misdan, Erwin Abdullah and Hery Setiawan on the men's side.

The association has promised to pick only lifters with realistic prospects of winning gold medals.

The selection is slated for Aug. 19 to Aug. 24 at Hotel Indonesia, Central Jakarta. It will coincide with the junior weightlifting championship, in which 150 young talents are expected to participate. (yan)