Regional pencak silat federation to be established next month
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)