RI expects two 'sepak takraw' golds

JAKARTA (JP): The newly-elected chairman of the Indonesian Sepak Takraw Association, Beddu Amang, announced yesterday that the association would do its best to get two gold medals in the next Southeast Asian Games here next year.

"If women's sepak takraw is contested next year, I believe that both the women's team and regu (three-team unit) will be able to gain two golds," said Beddu yesterday at the council's secretariat.

Beddu and the members of the board of the association yesterday was installed by National Sports Council chief Wismoyo Arismunandar for the 1996-2000 term.

While the women's team is expected to win gold, the men's team is only expected to win a silver medal in the next SEA Games. The men's team will face stronger teams from Thailand and Malaysia.

"Hopefully we can win silver, with an intensive national training program, either centralized or decentralized," he said.

Beddu said that the association would achieve its target if it was able to earn gold medals for both the men's and the women's teams and regu in the 20th SEA Games in 1999.

The association is grooming the men's team for the King's Cup in Thailand and the Isa Cup in the Philippines this year, in preparation for the team's bid for a silver medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998.

Beddu said that the association was also grooming junior players between 16 and 18.

"We'll intensify our national junior championships and also age group tournaments in an effort to start a sepak takraw league in the future," he said. (yan)