Regional pencak silat federation to be established next month

JAKARTA (JP): Seven Asian countries which have pencak silat (martial arts) federations in their respective countries will meet here on Oct. 2 to discuss the establishment of the Asia Pacific Pencak Silat Federation.

The Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI) executive director Oyong Karmayudha said the eight countries (including Indonesia) represented the other 22 Asian countries. He named the seven other countries as Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and the Philippines.

Oyong said that Indonesia would likely head the federation.

"We will declare the establishment of the Asia Pacific Pencak Silat Federation. We will also arrange our program. We will send a letter to the Olympic Committee of Asia to request a pencak silat exhibition in the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea," he said.

Oyong said that IPSI would elect a new chairman for the 1999- 2003 term in a three-day national congress starting next Thursday. He said that Eddie M. Nalapraya, the current IPSI chairman, was the sole candidate for the chairmanship.

"Eddie is willing to be reelected. He is the most suitable for the position," he said.

National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar is expected to open the congress at the pencak silat training center at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Indonesia Miniature Park) in East Jakarta.

Speaking on KONI's plan to reprimand the 1999 SEA Games team manager, officials and Ni Made Wahyuni as recommended by the SEA Games executive committee on Wednesday, Oyong said that the federation would study the possibility of making a clarification.

"We have not received a reprimand from KONI. If we do, we will study it to find out whether we should clarify this matter or we just accept their argument," he said.

Wahyuni was cleared from a doping charge on Wednesday in the SEA Games Federation Executive Committee meeting and could retain her gold medal. However, the committee members decided that KONI should reprimand the team manager and officials for failing to inform their athletes of the doping regulation. KONI was also advised to warn Wahyuni to avoid a similar case.

However, Oyong avoided blaming KONI, his officials and Wahyuni for the doping charge.

"We have learned a good lesson from this case. We should put more attention on our fighters' daily lives to avoid doping charges in regional and international tournaments," he said, adding that a fighter should refuse certain drugs and alcoholic drinks. (ivy)