POBSI looking to keep KL run at next SEAG
POBSI looking to keep KL run at next SEAG
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Billiards Association (POBSI), which began the
players' training workouts in January, will be heading to
Vietnam, simply content to maintain its achievement at the 2001
Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
"Asked about the target, I'd say that we'll be striving to at
least equal the two golds we chalked up at Kuala Lumpur," POBSI
chief in charge of development affairs Andrie Ben told The
Jakarta Post here on Friday.
The two golds were contributed by Muslim in the English
billiards singles and the pairing of M. Junarto and Adam A.R. in
the men's 9-ball pool-billiards.
Andrie said that as many as 64 players from 11 provinces had
been preparing themselves in their respective provinces.
The players competed in a three-day qualifying tournament
early this month, with the result that 28 were placed in the top
division and 36 in the second.
While the top-flight players are on the official list of POBSI
hopefuls for the SEA Games and have to follow the training regime
laid down by the association, the other 36 will still be given
the chance of making the squad when another qualifying field is
staged at the end of July.
"The second selection may change the top-flight membership.
They will undergo intensive preparation, which includes overseas
tryouts," Andrie said.
POBSI has two options for tryouts: the World National Team
Championship in Bree, Belgium, in August, and the Japan Open in
November.
With the billiards event being competed in three categories:
carom, snooker and pool-billiards, the trainees will be whittled
down to a fixed 12, four per category.
Apart from two international tournaments, POBSI plans to send
Siaw Wieto to the 2003 World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA)
Men's 9-Ball Championship in Cardiff, Wales, in July.
In addition of the two golds, Indonesia's billiards team also
brought home a silver and three bronzes at the 2001 SEA Games, to
trail Thailand with five golds and a silver, and the Philippines
with three golds, six silvers and a bronze.
Andrie said the next games, which would offer 11 golds in the
billiard competition, would continue to provide the opportunity
for stiff rivalry between the three countries.