PABBSI pushing for eight slots for Busan
PABBSI pushing for eight slots for Busan
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding
Association (PABBSI) is vying for eight places in the national
sporting squad for the 2002 Asian Games, according to an official
on Monday.
The National Sports Council (KONI) formerly signaled that it
would accommodate only six bodybuilders, to add to its 169-member
list.
"We will be seeking to negotiate with KONI so that the best
eight bodybuilders are allowed to join the training center,"
PABBSI's secretary-general, Gandrung, told The Jakarta Post.
The eight candidates are Ade Rai (90+ kilograms), Wimpie
(90kg), Yanda (80kg), Kusworo Hadi (85kg), Hendra (75kg), Fuady
(70kg), Syafrizaldi (65kg) and Asrelawandi (60kg).
They won their respective categories at the National
Bodybuilding Championships here at the weekend.
"What we have in mind is that they deserve a chance to follow
up on what they have achieved at the national level. They should
be given a place to prove themselves at a higher level of
competition.
"They have passed a tight selection process and I hope KONI is
able to accommodate their potential," Gandrung said, adding that
he would propose the names of the candidates immediately.
Steve Tengko, an official in charge of development affairs,
disclosed a plan for the athletes to take part in a regional
tournament so as to try them out.
The Southeast Asian Bodybuilding Championships is scheduled to
run from May 24 to May 27 in Malaka, Malaysia.
"They have yet to prove that they deserve inclusion in the
team," he said. He added that he did not rule out elimination if
an athlete fared below par.
Bodybuilding has drawn a lot of interest from event
organizers, both at the regional and continental level.
The last regional competition was the 1997 Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games in Jakarta where Indonesia won three of the eight
golds on offer thanks to Ade Rai, Wimpie and Asrelawandi.
The 2002 Asian Games, which will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14
in Busan, South Korea, will be the first bodybuilding competition
to be held at an Asian multi-sport event.
Gandrung said that the sport would also be contested at the
Olympics for the first time when Athens, Greece, hosts the global
event in 2004.
"They should by now be preparing hard for Busan, with the 2004
Olympics already in mind," Gandrung said.
Among the Indonesian contenders, Ade Rai is favorite in the
medal hunt given his past record, which includes his victory at
Musclemania 2000, the world's unofficial bodybuilding
championships, which was held in the United States.