PASI expels three athletes from center

PASI expels three athletes from center

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After recruiting eight more athletes as part of its long-term
preparations for the next Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the
Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) sent three home
from a training center for technical reasons.

The expulsion of the three -- all junior athletes -- was
announced during the organization's meeting here on Tuesday. But
Purnomo, a PASI official in charge of junior athletes'
development, urged the media not to overreact.

"This should not be exaggerated. It's just a routine
occurrence -- some coming in, some going out. We bring in
potential athletes but when they show no significant improvement
during their time in the training center, they should leave and
let others get their chance," Purnomo told The Jakarta Post.

"They may have left, but they still have an opportunity to
return to the training center provided that they produce good
performances in upcoming tournaments," he said, but declined to
mention the names of the three athletes.

The three were sent home from the Purwokerto training center,
Purwokerto, Central Java, one of the three athletes grooming
sites where PASI is carrying out a long-term training project to
train prospective athletes. The other two centers are in
Pangalengan, West Java, and Jakarta.

The exit of the three followed PASI's announcement that it had
recruited eight athletes to the training ground.

The eight were Nunung Jayadi (Jakarta), Sundari (West
Kalimantan), Reza Wijayanti (Central Java), Jauhari Johan (South
Sumatra), Evi Wulandari (North Sumatra), Triyono (Central Java),
Dudung Suhendi (West Java) and Rohili Maulana (Jakarta).

The entry of the 8 and the exit of the three have left a total
of 37 athletes in training, more than fifty percent of whom,
according of PASI secretary-general Tigor Tanjung, are juniors.

Irene T. Joseph, Ni Putu Desi Margawati and I Gede Karang Asem
will be among the members of the old guard to retain their places
in the team, while the young Verry Subnaveu, who took fourth
place in the Singapore Marathon last December, is hailed as one
of the likely medal winners.

Purnomo said that although they were being groomed for the
2003 SEA Games, the juniors would be expected to produce their
best during the subsequent 2005 Games.

Vietnam will host the 2003 SEA Games in December before the
Philippines takes over two years later.

The Indonesian athletics team has been the target of criticism
following its declining performance in the region with the 2001
Games in Kuala Lumpur signifying its latest dismal outing when it
could only bring home three gold medals.