Pelti rearranges training program after complaints
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) secretary- general Soegeng Sarjadi said on Thursday he would allow players to be trained by their favorite coaches to avoid allegations of favoritism in long-term training programs and other preparations for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
Soegeng made the remark after an anonymous letter circulated in the association office alleged that the selection of training program committee members was based on cronyism.
"I will suggest to all the people, including KONI (National Sports Council) chairman Wismoyo Arismundar and the state minister of youth affairs and sports Agung Laksono to change the training system for individual sports like tennis," he said.
"The training program system is no longer necessary in the long run because all tennis player have to make their own efforts to get ATP ranking and to be world players. So it is the player who should make up his or her own mind on the sponsors or the coaches."
The letter said that Soedjono Timan, who is in charge of Pelti's athlete development, had picked Martina Widjaja and her brother-in-law Aga Sumarna to lead the committee.
It alleged that Soedjono had also appointed officials and coaches as committee members, including Glen Sugita, Deddy Prasetyo, Suharyadi and wife Yayuk Basuki, Tintus A. Wibowo and his wife Suzana Anggarkusuma.
The conflict continued as tennis players also protested the training program. They refused to take part in multiple training programs with different coaches, organized to prepare them for tournaments other than the SEA Games.
Soegeng called on sports body officials to stop creating discord.
"Please stop the efforts (of spreading rumors). It's useless. We should better save our energy to develop our tennis," he said, adding that the officials mentioned in the letter would not be replaced.
The training program for women started on May 5. Pelti has selected nine players to be trained for the SEA Games: Wynne Prakusya, Irawati Moerid Iskandar, Frederika Girsang, Mudarwati, Liza Andriyani, Wukirasih Sawondari, Dea Sumantri, Angelique Widjaya and Romana Tedjakusuma.
Eight mens players -- Suwandi, Edy Kusdaryanto, Hendri Susilo Pramono, Febi Widhiyanto, Dede Suhendar, Bonit Wiryawan, Sebastian DaCosta and Yusmawan Fahmi -- have been invited to join the training program.
Soegeng said Pelti would trim the number of the players to eight: four men and four women. The 16 players, except for Wynne, would be selected in the Indonesia Masters tournament, scheduled to be held after the June 7 general election.
Wynne is included in the games team automatically due to her WTA ranking.
Soegeng said that after the tournament, the players would receive a three-week orientation course, during which they would receive instruction on tactics and teamwork.
"We want to win as much as three gold medals from the women's team, men's doubles and mixed doubles. But we can change this prediction after we evaluate the players' individual skills," he said. (ivy)