PASI to recruit 50 for SEAG training

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association (PASI) aims to recruit 50 athletes from among the competitors in the Junior National Track and Field Championships and the first Grand Prix.

PASI secretary-general, Tigor Tanjung, told a media conference on Wednesday that the 50 athletes would join the 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games long-term training program.

"I estimate only 50 of 61 athletes, invited to compete in the Grand Prix, will qualify to join the training program," he said. "But juniors with qualifying times have a chance to be recruited."

Both the junior event and the Grand Prix will take place from Nov. 15 to Nov. 18 at the Senayan Madya Stadium.

The junior championships -- the competitors of which are under 20 -- will feature 43 events while the Grand Prix will stage 20 events comprising 10 men's and 10 women's events.

PASI has set qualifying times into two categories.

"Athletes who pass limit A will be admitted directly into the centralized training center. Those who qualify in limit B will be considered further," Tigor said.

He said those in the two events who failed to qualify could try their luck in the second Grand Prix, scheduled for January, and the third Grand Prix, set for June along with the senior track and field championships.

PASI is aiming to bring home between eight and 12 golds from 20 events staged at the Games in Kuala Lumpur.

"We will still rely on the middle- and long-distance run for golds. We are also placing hope in the sprint and field events," Tigor said.

PASI will invite best national athletes in the first Grand Prix including men's sprinters Erwin Heru Susanto, Subakir, Sukari; veteran long-distance runner Eduard Nabunome and Gde Karang Asem; women's sprinter Irene Yoseph, long distance runner Supriati Sutono, 10km race walker Tersiana Riwu Rohi and shot putter Yurita Ariyani.

These athletes were finalists in the 2000 National Games (PON). Excluded from the list are women's long-distance runners and marathoners Ruwiyati and Triasih Handayani as marathon will not be staged in the first Grand Prix.

Yanes Raubaba and John Murray -- two male sprinters who performed in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in September -- will skip the Grand Prix.

A PASI official in charge of athletes development, Ria Lumintuarso, said that Yanes needed to recover from illness while John had to participate in military training.

Last year's junior meet belonged to Irene, pole vaulter Alia Basalamah and men's pole vaulter Nunung Jayadi. Irene managed to pave progress as far as the 2000 Sydney Games, but failure in the first preliminary brought her back to earth. Nunung failed to qualify while Alia was not in PASI's training program for the quadrennial event. (ivy)