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)