PABBSI to stay out of Olympic selection
PABBSI to stay out of Olympic selection
JAKARTA (JP): The new chairman of the Indonesian
Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association
(PABBSI), Dharma Surya, said on Friday he would not intervene in
the selection of the three women weightlifters who will go to the
2000 Olympic Games.
Dharma said he would allow the National Sports Council (KONI)
and the weightlifting training director for the Olympics, Djoko
Pramono, to select the three athletes from the four candidates
seeking to represent the country at the Games.
"I will not have a hand in the decision-making," he said,
adding that the selection would take place on Aug. 9 in Lampung
and on Aug. 14 in Jakarta.
He said there would be no weightlifting tournament to choose
the athletes, but the selection would be based on the
weightlifters' achievements this year.
Indonesia earned three places in the women's weightlifting
competition at the Olympics after finishing eighth at the World
Weightlifting Championships in Athens, with one gold and four
silver medals.
PABBSI currently is preparing Sri Indriyani and Lisa Rumbewas
in the 48-kilogram division, and Winarni and Supeni in the 53-
kilogram division. Indriyani and Winarni are training in Lampung,
Supeni is in Ragunan, South Jakarta, and Lisa is at Dharma's
training center in South Kalimantan.
Lisa and her coach, Lukman, expressed their hope that KONI and
Djoko would be fair in their decision.
"We want to do our best and we hope the selection will be
fair. We will accept any decision," Lukman said after attending
the installment of PABBSI's officials for the 2000 to 2005 term.
Dharma was elected as chairman of the association at a
national congress in June. He replaced the late Soesilo
Soedarman, a former coordinating minister for political and
security affairs who died at the age of 69 in December 1997.
Executive director Budiono Kartohadiprodjo filled the position
until the congress could meet to elect a new chairman.
Dharma said after the ceremony that he would continue his
predecessor's programs. "We want to improve our weightlifters'
national, regional and international achievements."
He also said he would develop the association's long-term
training centers. PABBSI has two centers, one in Pringsewu,
Lampung, and one in South Kalimantan, with each center having the
capacity to train 10 athletes at a time.
Dharma will be assisted by Col. Gandrung as executive director
and secretary-general, Linda Tanujaya as treasurer, Warsito as
official in charge of organizational affair, Steve Tengko in
charge of athlete development, Langgeng Yuwono in charge of
refereeing, Col. Johanes Karsan in charge of research and
development, Sonny L. Tobing and Dangsina Moeloek in charge of
health, Ito Wirabumi in charge of the financial division and
Alamsyah as the association's spokesman. (ivy)