New swimming chief makes splash
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The newly installed central board of the Indonesian Swimming Federation (PRSI) aims to improve its swimmers' achievements, both at home and abroad.
"First of all, we will evaluate all programs in the past and those being carried out in a bid to improve our swimmers' achievements," said newly appointed PRSI chairman Datuk Hakim Thantawi in a written statement made available to The Jakarta Post.
"In the longer term, we will develop our swimmers further so they will achieve a better standard. Therefore, we require cooperation from all parts of society, including the government."
The new board was installed last Saturday by chairman of the National Sports Council (KONI) Wismoyo Arismunandar at the Hilton Executive Club, Central Jakarta. Hakim replaced Rahardi Ramelan, who is standing trial for alleged corruption involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), which he headed in 1998 and 1999.
New faces dominated the new board, leaving only a few officials from the previous one.
Secretary-general Abdurrahim maintained his post while former deputy secretary-general Dadeng Kurnia holds a new post as executive secretary responsible for day-to-day activities of the PRSI secretariat.
The new board also includes well known celebrities Roy Marten and Debby Sahertian as members of the media and promotions division in an effort to further popularize the sport.
Indonesian swimmers barely have a look in, even at the Southeast Asian level, let alone Asian and world stages, in contrast to the 1980s generation of Lukman Niode and Elfira Nasution.
Indonesia managed only two gold, four silver and eight bronze medals from 43 golds at stake in the pool at the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last year. Both the golds came from veteran Richard Sam Bera, who was making his last appearance in the Games.
The country's sports community has urged KONI to focus its development program on sports that offer plenty of gold medals other than for swimming, for example track and field, gymnastics and shooting.