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)