Local hold their own in 'brain' sports
Local hold their own in 'brain' sports
JAKARTA (JP): Contract bridge and chess are two 'brain sports'
and in both Indonesia can hold its head up fairly high on the
international scene, unlike in many sports measured by speed or
strength where the country remains on the starting line.
The two table games were the only ones that provided silver
linings to the gray skies that otherwise hung over the country as
far as sport was concerned
Indonesia storming to the silver medal at the Bridge Olympiad
on Rhodes Island, Greece, last month, was indeed a remarkable
achievement which should be loudly applauded.
After dominating the Far East tournament scene by winning a
record 11 titles in the 1970s and 1980s, Indonesia, headed by
veteran pair of Eddy Manoppo, 51, and Hengky Lasut, 49, performed
marvelously at the world's most prestigious event.
The other members of the winning Indonesian team were Denny
Sacul, 48, Franky Kawur, 31, Giovani Watulingas, 36 and Sance
Penelewan, 35. They were guided by veteran Munawar Sawiruddin,
who, together with Manoppo and Lasut have been playing the
pivotal role for Indonesia over the last two decades in major
bridge events.
Returning home as runner-up in the 10th bridge Olympiad was
something that Indonesia never dreamed of, the bridge
association's chief, Wiranto, said.
Chess
Chess has also proved a successful battleground with Indonesia
fielding top players in many international events both at home
and abroad.
GM Utut Adianto was able to break the 2,600 elo rating ceiling
and might increase his to 2,615 next month.
He managed to hold the marauding Polish female grandmaster
Judith Polgar (2,619) in a chess duel in Jakarta last week. It
was indeed a remarkable feather in the cap for the Indonesian
Chess Association.
In the women's division of this brain sport progress has also
been made, particularly by Upi Darmayanti, the country's number
one player.
The 25-year-old Asian champion is now undergoing a serious
training stint to realize her lifetime ambition to become
Indonesia's first female grandmaster.
In golf, despite the tremendous increase in the number of
courses, especially in greater Jakarta and West Java, Indonesia
has so far not produced Asian-class players let alone world-rated
ones.
The Indonesia Golf Association still seems to have many years
of work to do to produce internationally rated golfers. True
there were many international events staged in the country, but
how far did our golfers could get when they came up against
better players from the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.
In the recent Volvo Matchplay, included in the Omega Tour
contested at the Emeralda Golf and Country Club, only one
Indonesian had the right to play.
Judging from the performances of some foreign golfers being
groomed for the SEA Games here in October, it would be a
herculean job for them to come out as the champion despite the
fact that Indonesia is hosting the Games.
The country's automotive sports have had a year of flimsy
achievements, especially in rallying, but not so much on the
track despite the fact that Indonesia now has a world-rated
circuit. The circuit has been certified by the sport's world
governing body -- FIA -- saying it could hold a Formula One race.
In Track and field, swimming and gymnastics, three high-
profile sports which can be used as a yardstick to gauge sports
development in a country, Indonesia has also shown poor
performances of late.
Lack of sports facilities and good coaches are some of many
reasons to be blamed for the poor progress of our athletes. (rsl)