PASI to recruit 50 for SEAG training

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)