RI golfers to better SEA Games performance
RI golfers to better SEA Games performance
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia struck its worst showing in the
Southeast Asian Games ever in Chiang Mai, Thailand last year, an
official admitted yesterday.
Taufik Aziz, secretary general of the Indonesian Golf
Association said after a hearing with the National Sports Council
yesterday that the poor outcome was unanticipated before.
"It was beyond our reach. Our opponents played extra
ordinarily well that they left us empty handed," Taufik said.
Host Thailand and the Philippines shared the glory with two
golds each.
Only Indonesia's best golfer Sukamdi managed to match his
rivals stroke for stroke in the SEA Games. He steadily joined the
top four until the third round and was an inch shy of a bronze
medal, but lost his spunk in the final battle.
Sukamdi led the Indonesian men's team to take two bronzes home
in the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore. Sukamdi also won a gold in
the 1991 episode of the biennial event. Golf made its debut in
SEA Games in 1989 and in Asian Games in 1994.
Taufik said that both the council and the golf body agreed
that the sport would be one of Indonesia's potential medal
sources in the 19th SEA Games here next year.
"We are perhaps not bidding for gold medals, but we expect to
collect as many medals as possible next year," Taufik said.
The association plans to call up eight male and six female
golfers to join the centralized training program for the 1997
Games.
"The problem is some of our players are intended to turn
professional," Taufik said, but declined to reveal the names. "We
are trying to persuade them to stay with us longer, at least
until the SEA Games is over," he said.
Taufik said that many national best golfers come from poor
family. "Their intention to raise their standard of living is
very understandable. They deserve that, but we beg them not to
leave so soon," Taufik said.
Taufik said that the association will also hire a foreign
coach to help national golfers improve their standards. "We have
to sign a qualified foreign coach at any cost if we mean medals,"
he said.
The association hired a Philippine coach for the SEA Games
last year, but to no avail since he was a part-timer.
The council decided to formally kick off the centralized
training program yesterday, although a series of consultative
meetings with all sports organizations are getting underway.
(amd)