Officials urge KONI to focus on sports offering many golds

Officials urge KONI to focus on sports offering many golds

JAKARTA (JP): Sports officials urged the National Sports
Council (KONI) to pay more attention to sports development in
multisport events of track and field, swimming, shooting and
gymnastics, which offer a large amount of gold medals.

Chairman of the Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Association
(Perbakin) and the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi),
Sutiyoso told reporters on Thursday that KONI must evaluate
athletes' performances in these sports after the recently
concluded Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam.

"We must see if the organization has the right man in the
right place. KONI must also review the sports organizations'
development system, which might need an improvement," said
Sutiyoso during the opening of the Governor Cup junior swimming
championships.

"We don't have to use our coaches all the time. If our
coaches' skills don't meet world class standards, why can't we
hire from other countries?"

Indonesia finished third in the SEA Games by taking home 44
golds, 43 silvers and 58 bronzes, the lowest haul since first
participating in 1977. Thailand dominated the event by winning 65
golds, 48 silvers and 56 bronzes, followed by Malaysia with 57
golds, 45 silvers and 42 bronzes.

During the Games, track and field offered 41 gold medals, and
swimming offered 37 and shooting 12. Gymnastics was not featured
at the biennial event.

Separately, Ministry of Education and Culture's Director
General of Extracurricular Activities and Sports Sri Sudono
Sumarto said that some student training centers (PPLP) had
produced young talent for track and field competition.

"They managed to dominate the national junior championships in
July. Unfortunately, we don't have such a training center for
swimming because most swimmers come from the 'haves' who usually
decline to live at the training center," he said.

Citing an example, Sudono said from 70 young swimmers invited
to join the Ragunan Sports School, only nine showed up for tests
and five were admitted.

"Another barrier which hampers improvement is a lack of
competition. These young athletes only have a championship once a
year. That's not enough."

Sutiyoso said Perbakin had another way to groom its athletes.

"Usually, they have commitments at work or school that makes
it difficult to have a long-term training program. Perbakin
prefers to train military officers to join the program. Our
shooters, who contributed two golds in the SEA Games, are
military officers," he said.

Speaking about KONI's ambition to bid for hosting the 2006
Asian Games, Sutiyoso, who is also the governor for Jakarta, said
he was not notified officially yet by KONI.

"I knew the plan as a sports organization chairman, but not as
a governor. If they are really serious about the bid, I will
fight hard to win it. But I must discuss it with KONI and the
state minister of youth affairs and sports first," he said.

Sutiyoso expressed optimism that in six years time, Indonesia
would be back on its feet again for hosting the quadrennial
event.

"I'm campaigning to create a secure confidence in Jakartans
which is the most important thing in rebuilding our country," he
said. (yan)