RI judo team decides to shift camp

RI judo team decides to shift camp

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI) has changed its plans
ahead of its participation at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan,
South Korea.

The athletes will now set out for Germany, instead of South
Korea as PJSI had previously considered.

"The athletes say they will be more comfortable training in
Germany," Aji Kusmantri, PJSI's deputy secretary general, told
reporters here on Friday.

"It appears to contradict our former plans, but we can't force
them to go to a place they feel wouldn't suit them. As long as it
(the change of plan) benefits the team, we can't reject their
wishes," Aji said.

The German outing will last for a month starting the middle of
this month and will involve training in Berlin and Bonn.

Judo is one of 20 events Indonesia plans to compete at in the
Asian Games, which will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.

Coach Eka Setia Siregar said the German training camp aimed at
building up the physical shape and improving the speed and power
of the athletes.

"Speaking about technical ability and skills, the athletes are
already well-equipped. They just need to accelerate their speed
and power to compete against the strong opposition in Busan,"
said Eka, a former national champion.

It will be the first trip the team has made to Germany to
train in the past four months. But the entourage is heading with
only two female athletes this time after two of their male
compatriots were dropped from the team earlier this month.

The first trip to Germany took place from May to July this
year and the team comprised 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold
medalists I Wayan Sutikno, Dwi Sihmanto, Endang Sri Lestari and
Germany-based Aprilia Marzuki.

On this trip, however, only Endang and Aprilia will be going.

Wayan and Dwi were among 19 athletes the National Sports
Council (KONI), which is responsible for organizing the
Indonesian sporting delegation to Busan, declared ineligible for
the Asian Games and were removed from the training program in a
campaign to make the delegation as efficient and competitive as
possible.

Wayan and Dwi, despite their triumphant run at the SEA Games,
were considered unlikely to win medals at the quadrennial Asian
sporting showcase.

Aji said the level of competition at the Asian Games would be
as strong as in the Olympics, given the fact that the world's
judo stronghold was traditionally Asia.

"So, it will be a daunting prospect for our women athletes to
win a medal. But they are likely to do better than their male
teammates, especially in the under 70-kilogram division," he
added.

He mentioned Japan, Iran, former Soviet states and host Korea
as favorites in the sport.