Pelti to invite foreign coaches

Pelti to invite foreign coaches

JAKARTA (JP): With a sports science and technology approach to
improving national coaches' skills, the Indonesian Tennis
Association (Pelti) will invite a foreign expert to hold two-
month-long coaching clinics and workshops.

Association deputy secretary-general Benny Mailili said on
Tuesday that Pelti would request either Austrian Gebhard Gritsch
or American Doug McCurdy.

"Gritsch was considered the successful man who brought
Indonesia to a clean sweep in the 1997 Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games women's tennis events here," he said.

During a five-month stint, Gritsch coached Indonesian women's
players Wynne Prakusya, Wukirasih Sawondari, Liza Andriyani and
Irawati Moerid Iskandar for the SEA Games. Indonesia won three
golds in the women's team, women's singles and women's doubles by
beating top seeded Thailand. Thai number one Tamarine Tanasugarn,
currently world ranked 54, was outplayed by Liza in the team
event and Wukirasih in the singles.

Benny said Pelti's coach commission chief Atet Wijono also
asked McCurdy, director of development of the United States
Tennis Association, for help.

"McCurdy asked in his letter about what kind of help we need,"
he said. He described McCurdy, a former development director of
the International Tennis Federation (ITF), as a good friend of
Atet.

Benny said Pelti would offer a monthly payment of US$5,000.

"We have prioritized Gritsch after considering his success
earlier."

However, the association has lost track of Gritsch after he
relocated to Hamilton, New Zealand.

"The phone number he gave us before leaving Indonesia was not
registered under his name. Maybe he rented the house. We'll try
to track him down by calling Austria's tennis association," he
said.

Benny said the association's Rp 50 million ($5,814) to finance
the program was insufficient.

"We need about Rp 150 million but we'll ask our sponsors to
help us financially."

Benny also criticized the association's athletes development
deputy, Sudjiono Timan, who requested a wild card to compete in
the Indonesian Men's Future 1 qualifying round this week.

"Every host player has the right to get a wild card in a
tournament. But he got the facility because he could not sign in
due to his duties in Singapore," he said.

Sudjiono -- an assistant to State Minister of the Empowerment
of State Enterprises Tanri Abeng, who is also Pelti chairman --
is a former national junior player.

"He must understand that as an official, he should not do such
a silly thing. A good official must boost his athletes' fighting
spirit, but he doesn't have to do it that way," he said.

Sudjiono provoked controversy when he joined training for the
national Davis Cup team before it faced the Philippines early
this month. Indonesia ultimately lost to its neighbor for the
first time in 13 years. (yan)