RI pushes to include powerlifting at Olympic
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has once again pushed to include powerlifting among the full-fledged, medal events that are competed in at international and regional sports meet like Olympic and Asian Games.
At the opening of the world junior weightlifting and powerlifting championships in Nusa Dua, Bali, yesterday, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman said that powerlifting has become a favorite sport among young people all over the country.
"The Indonesian Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association (PABBSI) has been drawing up regular programs to attract more young people to do the sport, and not just as a hobby," Hayono was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) picked weightlifting instead of powerlifting as an official event.
The world championships feature 192 lifters of 23 countries competing in both men's and women's categories. The United States, Australia, Germany, Austria, Canada, the Netherlands, Chinese Taipei, Japan, England, India, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden and New Zealand are among the visiting teams of the four- day meet which started yesterday.
The world weightlifting body (WWF) named Indonesia the host of the junior championships and the July 24-31 world weightlifting meet during an international congress in Hamilton, Canada last October.
The host team fields nine musclemen and nine musclewomen at the annual event, with the 60-kilogram Sutrisno, 75-kilogram Syahroni expected to steal the limelight. Mingguarti, who competes in the 52-kilogram division and Agustina, who joined the 67.5-kilogram class, will be the national women's team ace lifters.
PABBSI sorted out which athletes would make up the national teams during selection matches held in Bogor, West Java last April.
Hayono said if the IOC adopts powerlifting as a full-fledged medal event, Indonesian lifters should lay their hopes for gold on the lighter weight classes due to physical constraints.
"Indonesia has a good chance in the 50-kilogram and 60- kilogram competitions," he said. (amd)