More expected to qualify for Sydney Olympics

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) expects more athletes to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as Indonesia has so far only qualified five swimmers, one diver, one taekwondoin and one sprinter.

KONI vice chairman, Arie Sudewo, said on Wednesday: "Until today only eight athletes have secured berths in the Olympics. Other athletes are still competing in prequalifying rounds. It's just a beginning."

The qualified athletes are swimmers Richard Sam Bera, Felix Christiadi Sutanto, Albert Christiadi Sutanto, Wisnu Wardhana and Elsa Manora Nasution; diver Shenny Ratna Amelia; taekwondoin Juana Wangsa Putri and sprinter Irene Truitje Joseph.

Arie and other KONI's officials met officials from the Indonesian Amateur Athletic Association (PASI), the Indonesian Taekwondo Association (TI) and the Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) to arrange training programs for the long-term training center.

The center is aimed to prepare athletes for the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur and 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

PASI secretary-general, Barmawi Chaidir, said the association had been preparing five more athletes to qualify for the Olympics. They are middle and long-distance runners Supriati Sutono and her junior Ruwiyati, men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi, women's long jumper Nyoman Rae Trisandiana and men's sprinter Johannes Murray.

"We started the training program on Oct. 1. Only Ruwiyati trains in her hometown in Salatiga (Central Java). We hope they all can qualify for the Olympics. They still have to compete in various tournaments before Sept. 11, 2000," he said, adding that PASI targets athletes to reach the top 16 in the Olympics.

TI's secretary-general Ahmad Zarkasih Hamid said Juana would be groomed in Seoul from November to January before taking part in five international tournaments.

Zarkasih said TI would find a sparring partner for Juana, who competes in the women's fly division, in the prequalifying round for the 2000 National Games to be staged here from Nov. 28 to Nov. 30.

"The sparring partner must be under 20 years of age and from the same weight division as her. She is expected to replace Juana in the Olympics should anything happen to her," he said.

Juana is scheduled to compete in the US Open in Honolulu, Hawaii from Feb. 2 to Feb. 6, the Dutch Open in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, from March 10 to March 12, the Belgium Open in Brussels on April 1 and April 2 and the Korea Open in June. Zarkasih said TI would need US$90,000 to finance the tour.

"She might skip the test event for the Olympics in Sydney in December. It will depend on the diplomatic relationship development between Indonesia and Australia," Zarkasih said.

TI is trying to get a wild card for the 13th Asian Games silver medalist Satrio Rahardani, who is being coached in South Korea.

"Satrio is being prepared for the 2002 Asian Games. If KONI agrees to send him, I will try to get a wild card for him," he said. (ivy)