'RI equestrian team unfit for Asiad'

'RI equestrian team unfit for Asiad'

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Equestrian and Horse Racing
Association admitted on Thursday that its team did not deserve
places in the national contingent for the 13th Asian Games in
Bangkok.

In his progress report to the National Sports Council's Asian
Games task force, equestrian training director Suheryana said his
squad appeared to have no chance of winning medals at the
quadrennial event following their poor performance in the
Southeast Asian league of the Volvo World Cup in Malaysia
recently.

Roy Ibrahim, who finished fourth in the World Cup Jumping and
Ardi Hapsoro, who was sixth in the Classic Open, were the best
among Indonesia's underachievers during the Malaysian trip which
served as a warm-up for the December Asiad.

Other equestrian team members are Indra Rosendi, Rafiq Hakim
Radinal, Putri Wulandari and Kurniadi Mustopha.

The national team training director, Mochamad Hindarto, agreed
with Suheryana, saying the equestrian team failed to meet the
minimum target of finishing among the top three at the
competition.

"We recommend that the sports council drop the equestrian team
from the Asiad-bound contingent. But the final decision rests
with the chairman," he said.

Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar has given the green
light to the equestrian team to compete at the Asiad "for the
sake of its development in the future".

Wismoyo also supports the self-sponsored equestrian team's bid
to compete in the Asian Games because it will be in Bangkok for
the final leg of the Southeast Asian league just before the
Asiad.

Indonesia's withdrawal from the equestrian events would mean
the country would take part in 18 sports in the games, scheduled
for Dec. 6 to Dec. 20.

National tennis team director Benny Mailili said he was
considering changes in his squad's Asian Games trials schedule.

"We'd rather play in a satellite tournament in the Philippines
than in Japan next month. The decision will be made if we can
beat the registration deadline tomorrow," Benny said.

He said he preferred the Philippines to Japan due to the
climate.

"Japan is too cool for Indonesians," he said, adding that
Indonesians were more suited to Bangkok's tropical climate.

Liza Andriyani completed the women's quartet after crushing
Enny Sulistyowati 6-2, 6-0 on the final day of a selection
tournament on Thursday.

Yayuk Basuki, Wynne Prakusya and Irawati Moerid Iskandar had
already secured their places.

Hindarto said that Yayuk, who will return home in the next two
weeks, had still to decide if she would compete in the singles
event.

Yayuk has hinted she will concentrate on doubles events,
saying her chances of winning medals in singles look slim. She
took the women's doubles gold medal with Suzanna Anggarkusuma in
the 1986 Asiad in Seoul and mixed doubles gold with Suharyadi,
now her husband and coach, in the 1990 games in Beijing.

Indonesia will compete in the men's doubles, women's team,
women's doubles and mixed doubles events of the Asiad tennis
competition.

Benny said the men's doubles team of Bonit Wiryawan and
Sulityo Wibowo would play in an international tournament in New
Delhi from Nov. 19 to Nov. 25. Indian Davis Cuppers Laender Paes
and Mahesh Bhupathi are expected to win both the singles and
doubles titles. The Indians are the world number three pair.
(yan)