RI archers out to win Olympic slots

RI archers out to win Olympic slots

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is out to win tickets to the 1996
Olympic Games, during the 38th World Archery Championships to be
held at home early in August.

"It will be extremely hard work since we will be competing
with the world's best archers," Oetojo Oesman, chairman of the
Indonesian Archery Association, said during a fast breaking
gathering on Thursday.

Indonesian women's and men's archers need to finish among the
top 43 in their respective events to qualify for the Olympics in
Atlanta, the U.S. Each event of the Olympics archery competitions
will field 64 competitors.

A total of 70 countries have confirmed their entry to the Aug.
1-6 championships, the first qualifying round for the Olympics,
to be held at the Senayan sports complex.

Indonesian athletes will be given a second chance to make an
appearance at the Olympics during the Asian championships in
March next year in Thailand. The top 12 archers of this
continental event will win the remaining Olympic tickets.

Oetojo, who is also Minister of Justice, said the national
team will have a testing ground on home soil as well as abroad in
June. They are scheduled for the Jakarta Open before taking part
in an international tournament in France.

Nurfitriyana, Purnama Pandiangan and Lilies Handayani, who
teamed up to give Indonesia its first Olympic silver medal in
1986 in Seoul, are included in 24 archers called up for the world
archery meet.

Perpani also awarded the women's team of Purnama, Rusena
Gelanteh, Dahliana and their coach Daniel Lumalesil Rp 1 million
(US$450) in cash each for their commendable performance during
the Asian Games in Hiroshima in October last year.

The squad won silver in the women's Olympic Round event, the
only medal won by the national team in the Games archery
competition.

"The cash bonuses come late because all athletes returned to
their respective hometowns shortly after the Asian Games," said
Oetojo. The national archers have been regrouped for the national
training center since last month. (amd)