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)