National lifters to Asian meet

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's weight lifters and body builders are hoping to put preparations for the 18th Southeast Asian Games into a higher gear when they enter the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Pusan, South Korea, tomorrow.

"We have to take the SEA Games more seriously, particularly because of a potential, hard-fought battle against the host team," said Soesilo Soedarman, chairman of the Indonesian Weight Lifting, Power Lifting and Body Building Association.

Soesilo said he will not put too much burden on his team, but he vowed to retain Indonesia's supremacy in the SEA Games weightlifting competition. Indonesian lifters took seven golds in the last Games in 1993.

The Asian Weightlifting Championships will run from June 30 through July 7. (amd)