RI lifters eye medals in lighter division
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Apart from China's expected domination, Indonesian weightlifting sees better medal prospects in the lower weight women's categories at the 2002 Asian Games, a sporting official said here on Thursday.
Based on information, including a recent study, "we see good prospects for the womens' competition in the lower weight classes," said Sebastian Hadi Wiharja, an official of the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association (PABBSI), at the National Sports Council (KONI) office in Central Jakarta.
Hadi was referring to the 48-kilogram and 53-kilogram classes, for which Indonesia has Sri Indriyani and Lisa Rumbewas respectively to contend for the medals at competitions in the South Korean city of Pusan.
In those two classes, the national records are 12.5 kilograms and 20 kilograms lower than the Asian records.
Given China's nearly invincible power, Indonesia seems to be relishing a contention for either silver or bronze medals.
Rosmaniar, an Indonesian hopeful in the 48 kilograms contest, will be categorized as the "dark horse" along with Thai Wirathaworn Aree.
China is likely to deploy either one or two of its champions cordon in Wei Gao, Liu Xiuhua, and Li Zhou.
Wei, only 16 years old, won the world championship in Turkey in 2001. Liu is the world's and Asia record holder, while Li has flourished in the junior competitions.
Hadi rated Chinese Yang Xia, Qiu Hong Xia and Li Feng Ying of Taiwan, along with Win Swe-swe of Myanmar, as hot contenders in the 53-kilogram category.
He said that Lisa, whose 117.5-kilogram record is rated top in the clean and jerk lift in the world list, would stand to potentially spoil her rivals, provided that she could improve her snatch lift with a minimum of 100 kilograms.
Lisa was the silver medalist in the 48 kilograms at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Other weightlifters being groomed by PABBSI are Sri Indriyani, Sri Hartati, Tanti Pratiwi, Yadi Setiadi, Nusyanto, Misdan Yunip, Erwin Abdullah, Yudi Suhartono, Junaedi and Joko Hanggoro.
In the men's category, China is expected to face stiff resistance from Iran, Qatar and South Korea.
Around 30 sporting categories will be contested at the 2002 Asian Games, which will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14. Indonesia is tentatively preparing to send 169 athletes to compete in 19 events.
Altogether, there will be 15 gold medals at stake in the weightlifting competition.