RI banks on gold at Islamic games

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sports officials expect gold in at least three of the four events the country will participate in at the first Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh in April.

Represented by 27 athletes registered in the Indonesia Awakens (IA) development program, Indonesia will take part in tae kwon do (eight athletes), weightlifting (eight), karate (six) and tennis (five).

Restricted to male athletes, the Islamic Solidarity Games will feature nine sports.

"I hope athletes in the four sports sent to the Islamic Solidarity Games will contribute golds to help prove that we will be able to do the same in the 2006 Asian Games," Kunkunradt said on Monday, following his appointment at the weekend as chairman of the Indonesian contingent.

"You're aware that a sport under the IA program has a target to win one gold in the Asian Games to reach a total of 10 golds."

Kunkunradt, who is the vice chief of education and coaching for the National Sports Council (KONI), said Indonesian athletes were likely to win gold in tae kwon do, karate and weightlifting in Saudi Arabia.

M. Umar Syarif, who won the Asian Karate Federation (AKF) championship in 2004, will take part in karate, while in tae kwon do, Satryo Rahadhani was able to qualify for the 2004 Olympics.

Kunkunradt said Indonesia also had good lifters in several divisions, while in tennis, young players would be expected to perform their best.

"After the Islamic Solidarity Games, we will evaluate the athletes' performances to decide whether they still deserve to join the IA program."

He will meet with officials from the four sports organizations on Wednesday to discuss the necessary preparation for the games.

About Rp 1.2 billion (US$133,000) has been budgeted to send the team to the Games.

After the Islamic Solidarity Games, KONI plans to send 23 IA athletes to the Muslim Women Sports gathering in September in Iran, and 12 athletes to the Asian Indoor Games in November in Bangkok.

KONI head of development affairs Djoko Pramono said over the weekend that at the Muslim Women Games, Indonesia would participate in athletics (two athletes), badminton (seven), karate (three), archery (four), tae kwon do (three) and tennis (four).

At the indoor games, Indonesia will be represented in sport aerobic and extreme sports.

KONI will allocate about Rp 1 billion to send athletes to the Muslim Women Games and half that amount for the Asian indoor event.