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)