RI rowers upbeat over Asiad

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Rowing Association pledged yesterday to soldier on with preparations for the 13th Asian Games despite financial and practice facility deficiencies.

Head coach Budiman Setiawan said his 16 recruits had trained in a modest course at Jatiluhur reservoir in Purwakarta, West Java, since mid-February, but he was delighted by their enthusiasm and achievements.

"Some rowers managed to clock their best time of six minutes and 33 seconds in double sculls, a few seconds faster than their strongest opponents from China," an elated Budiman said after a meeting with the National Sports Council's training director Muhammad Hindarto.

He added that in general the rowers improved on marks they set en route to winning last year's Southeast Asian Games by 10 seconds.

"To row in an undefined course is difficult but our athletes proved they could manage to clock fine times. I hope they will perform better in an international race like Asiad," said Budiman, who is also the rowing body's general secretary.

He said the training center would be moved to a better equipped facility belonging to the Army's special force in Batujajar, near Bandung, as soon the rowers returned from the Merlion Cup in Singapore this week.

A team of 10 rowers departed later yesterday for the event, which takes place from tomorrow to Sunday.

It will be the rowers' first outing since undergoing the centralized training program. Budiman said they would compete in more regattas in August.

He predicted his team would dominate the competition thanks to the absence of the continent's rowing powerhouses China, South Korea and Kazakhstan.

Earlier, Hindarto asked the national rowing team to take full advantage of the tryout to build their belief in themselves.

"Many of our athletes have failed to win in international competitions because they lack self-confidence."

Indonesia has named rowing as one of the sports it will compete in at the Asian Games in Bangkok in December. (emf)