Pertina wants more boxers for Atlanta

Pertina wants more boxers for Atlanta

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association
(Pertina) is setting its sight on winning three more Olympic
berths in an international tournament in Bangkok, scheduled from
Feb. 25 to March 2.

Pertina executive chairman Imron Z.S. told reporters yesterday
that six boxers are now completing their training session for the
tournament which serves as the final Olympic qualifying round.

The six are welterweight Bara Gomies, light middleweight
Albert Papilaya, flyweight Hermensen Ballo, bantamweight Rachman
Kili-kili, lightweight Alfarizi and middleweight Pino Bahari.

"We hope that at least three of them will qualify for the
Olympics," Imron said. He declined to mention which of the six
who, in his opinion, have chances to secure Olympic slots.

Three Indonesian boxers, bantamweight Nemo Bahari, flyweight
La Paene Masara and light middleweight Hendrik Simangunsong, have
booked their places in the world's premier sporting extravaganza.

Nemo qualified after reaching the final of the Asian Amateur
Boxing Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, last year. La Paene
and Hendrik secured their berths after winning gold medals at the
Major's Cup boxing tournament in Cebu, the Philippines, last
month. The Major's Cup served as the penultimate Olympic
qualifying round for Asian boxers.

Imron said that performance-wise, Indonesia deserves six
tickets in the Olympic boxing competition.

"We are now far more improved than we were in the 1992 Olympic
Games in Barcelona, when we had only two representatives," Imron
said. Middleweight Albert Papilaya reached the quarterfinals,
while Hendrik was eliminated in the early rounds.

Imron said that compared to China or South Korea, Indonesia
fared better at the recently concluded Major's Cup. China and
South Korea sent 12 boxers each but had to return home empty-
handed. Indonesia fielded only five boxers but won two Olympic
berths.

Imron expected that all national boxing hopefuls in Atlanta
would at least make it to the semifinals.

He added that two other boxers, Arthur Rambing and his brother
Sonny Rambing, who are residents of Semarang, Central Java were
also called up but they failed to show up for selection here on
Feb. 12.

Imron cited Pertina's Central Java chapter as saying that the
two were dismissed because they were found physically unfit upon
preliminary tests. (arf)