Price of ammo, guns hindering training: Sutiyoso
JAKARTA (JP): The price of weapons and ammunition is hindering national sharpshooters' training, the new chairman of the Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Association, Sutiyoso, told reporters yesterday.
"Weapons and ammunition, which must be imported, have become more expensive due to the fall of the rupiah. I think the equipment should be free from import duty. Our athletes and the association cannot afford to buy the equipment without the tax breaks," said Sutiyoso, who is also governor of Jakarta.
"We have great potential to win many golds in multisports events and our athletes have proven their prowess. We should not block their chances to compete just because this problem," he said.
The association is grooming four female double trap shooters, from the Female Army Officers Corps, to compete at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok next December.
Sutiyoso, who has been an association official for eight years and became chairman last month, said national marksmen peaked at the 19th SEA Games in October by winning 11 of the 42 golds on offer. At the previous Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 1995 Indonesia only brought home two golds.
The association is planning to send the four athletes abroad for a series of warmup events because they do not have any suitable sparring partners at home.
"Our contract with four Chinese coaches expired this year and I think the association must extend their contracts to groom our athletes for the Asiad," he said.
The main problem is the expense of bullets which used to cost Rp 1,250 (US$0.25) each. But the price has increased to Rp 2,500 each due to the economic situation.
"Every time the association imports weapons and ammunition I have to ask the minister of finance to reduce the import tax, because that's the only way out to reduce our expenses," Sutiyoso said.
Military
The association, which spends between Rp 1.5 billion and Rp 2 billion every year, is concentrating on recruiting military officers.
"We've conducted this recruitment for about one year of our four-year plan. Of 500 officers, only 50 are really talented. We plan to recruit more next year to have, at least, five shooters in each event," Sutiyoso said.
Shooting offers 21 golds for both men and women in most multisports events.
"We'll need 105 athletes to compete in the 21 events," he said.
"However I still expect to recruit civilians. The association plans to stage a course for teenagers and students and to hold a competition for them," said Sutiyoso, who said he was disappointed with the association's inactive provincial branches.
Sutiyoso said that the association now has three departments; target shooting, hunting and practical shooting.
"The association is not worried about the hunting and practical shooting athletes because most of them are executives," he said.
Sutiyoso also announced the association's officials for 1997 to 2001. Edi Sudradjat, a former association chairman, is the chairman of the association's patrons board.
The Jakarta Military Commander, Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, is the vice chairman, Anthony Sunarjo is the secretary. Sita Razni chairs the target shooting department, Bambang Trihatmodjo chairs the practical shooting department and Udju Djuhaeri chairs the hunting department. (yan)