Pugilist Pino not to undergo surgery
JAKARTA (JP): Middleweight Pino Bahari does not need surgery for his spinal injury, but his return to the Olympic Games in Atlanta this July remains in doubt, a sports official has said.
"We will take conservative measures to help him recover. Surgery is unlikely because medication and physiotherapy will be enough to cure his injury," Suhantoro, the chief of the National Sports Council laboratory, said after a second fitness test imposed on Indonesian boxing team yesterday.
Pino sprung a surprise on his public when he came out for the test alongside his brother, featherweight Nemo, as well as light flyweight La Paene Masara, flyweight boxer Hermansen Ballo and light middleweight boxer Hendrik Simangunsong.
They underwent blood and endurance tests, but, unlike his four teammates, Pino was excused from those exercises which involved back movement.
Suhantoro refused to reveal the results of the tests, saying that there were many items to analyze.
"In general, if their fitness increases between five and seven and a half percent, then the training program they are undergoing is good," Suhantoro said.
He also declined to comment on Pino's fate after yesterday's tests. The Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association had earlier decided that fitness tests would be among criteria to select its boxing team for Atlanta.
Suhantoro said last week that an operation would be conducted on the recommendation of two specialists, an orthopedist and a neurologist, involved in the efforts to help Pino.
Suhantoro himself suggested that Pino skip the Olympics in July and take a four-week rest. The doctor also wanted the 23- year-old boxer to prepare himself for the Southeast Asian Games next year.
Pino now wears a back brace and drinks Chinese medicine made of extract of turtle given to him by his orthopedist, Dr. Chaehab. The orthopedist also asked Pino to rest for one month.
Pino, the 1990 Asian Games gold medalist, was diagnosed to be suffering a spinal injury after a test on April 10. He was released from the training stint at the Army's special forces base camp in Cijantung, East Jakarta. Pino is staying at the Century Park hotel for physiotherapy.
The Indonesian boxing body has canceled its plans for a warm- up fight for its Olympic team in Bandung on May 14 and 15, to hold a meeting with the sports council to decide the lineup of the national Olympic boxing team.
The boxing body is however sticking to its plans to send the team to Cuba on May 19 to take part in the Cordoba-Cardin tournament in Camaquey and the Pedro Soto Alba in Holkuin. (yan)