Lifters to start training for Asiad next month

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th SEA Games ended just six days ago but the Indonesian Weight lifting, Power lifting and Bodybuilding Association is to start its national training center for the 13th Asian Games on Nov. 1.

The association's secretary-general, Djoko Pramono, said yesterday that the association would include 12 weight lifters in the long-term training scheme.

"We can't wait until the National Sports Council orders us to start training. The association will finance the training because we are aiming to win golds in the Asian Games in Bangkok next December," said Djoko, who was Indonesia's SEA Games training director.

Sri Indriyani, Winarni, Sriyani, Supeni and Fatmawati will lead the women's team while Hari Setiawan, Taufik, Misdan, Zulkarnaen, Sutrisno, Erwin Abdullah and Joko Hanggono will be in the men's squad.

Sri, Winarni, Sriyani, Hari, Taufik and Erwin each won one gold medal in the SEA Games. Two other golds were won by Sunaryo and I Nyoman Sudarma, who have been excluded from the training program due to their ages.

"We have sent letters to the athletes and expect them to arrive on Nov. 1. If they don't show up, we may replace them with other lifters," Djoko, a Marine major general, said.

The organization will send Sri Indriyani, Winarni, Sriyani and Hari Setiawan to the World Championship in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in December.

"We hope one of them will win one medal, or at least finish fifth. The results will be an evaluation to prepare our athletes better for the Asian Games," he said.

Djoko said the association had also evaluated the SEA Games results, where national lifters won eight golds.

"We didn't fail at all. We reached our target to win eight golds."

The association will also open another weight lifting training center in West Java. It already has two centers, in Lampung and Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

"Our third-string athletes are expected to compete in the 2001 SEA Games," Djoko said.

Djoko said the International Olympic Committee had approved women's weight lifting to be included in the Olympics but that there will be some division changes in the men's and women's divisions.

In the women's events, there will be seven instead of nine classes; 48kgs, 53kgs, 58kgs, 63kgs, 69kgs, 75kgs and over 75kgs.

In the men's events, there will be eight instead of 10 classes; 56kgs, 62kgs, 69kgs, 77kgs, 85kgs, 95kgs, 105kgs and over 105kgs.

The new divisions will be introduced in January 1998. (yan)