Lifters want to take part in Olympics
Lifters want to take part in Olympics
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Body Building Association has asked the National Sports Council to send lifters to the upcoming Olympic Games in Atlanta if they meet the qualifying requirements, despite proposals to send only potential medal winners.
Soesilo Soedarman, re-elected chairman of the association, said after announcing his new officials yesterday that an Olympic appearance is all that his lifters look for in the Asian Championships in April, the last qualifying round for the Atlanta Games.
"Why should we discourage athletes who have battled all the way for Olympic berths?" Soesilo said.
The council has decided to send only potential medal winners to the Olympics, restricting Indonesia's appearances to only badminton, boxing, tennis and archery.
Weight lifting was also nominated, along with cycling, rowing, shooting, wind surfing, fencing, track and field, diving, swimming, judo, table tennis and beach volleyball, The country's participation in these sports has yet to be confirmed.
President Soeharto himself has recently said in a meeting with State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman that Indonesia should only pick potential winners to go to the world's greatest sporting meet.
However, Hayono said the council has the right to decide the sports in which Indonesia will participate. The council will announce its decision after a plenary meeting on Feb. 28. Its spokesman, Ishadi SK, said on Friday that the national Olympic team would comprise around 40 athletes.
Indonesia will parade 10 lifters in the Asian weight lifting meet in Tokyo, scheduled for April 4 to 9.
A total of nine Asian countries will take part in the championships which will offers five Olympic places. The overall winner will gain two berths while the next three finishers will receive one each.
Soesilo, who will chair the association until the turn of century, picked 19 newcomers and 16 veterans in his new cabinet.
Soesilo said that psychology, nutrition, human resources and statistics are the areas the association would pay more attention to in its bid to raise the standards of national lifters.
He asked his new staff to focus on developing athletes in remote provinces. "We will distribute more equipment to them," Soesilo said.
Soesilo will be assisted by executive chairman Budiono Kartohaduprodjo, secretary general Djoko Pramono and treasurer Subakti Noto. (05)