New swimming chief makes splash
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.