RI sends three `wushu' athletes to Japan

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) sent off three wushu athletes yesterday to the Tokyo Open, which is seen as a training ground for the upcoming Asian Games in Hiroshima next October.

The three athletes, two men and one woman, have been preparing at the national training center, IGK Manila, the chairperson of the Wushu Indonesian Association told Antara here yesterday.

Wushu is a kind of Chinese martial art which uses wooden sticks and swords as weapons.

The three fighters are Ra Octariana from Jakarta, Zainab from North Sumatra and Eko Sapuan from Central Java.

All of them will perform in most of the tournament's events, including those using weapons, Manila said.

The Tokyo Open will start on Friday.

"We do not have specific targets for the three-day event," the official said.

He added that the three athletes will be moved subsequently to China for a training session at the Chinese Wushu Institute as further preparation for the Beijing Open in early August.

Cyclists

Meanwhile ISSI, the national cycling governing body has decided not to send any of its 17 cyclists abroad prior to the upcoming Asian Games due to lack of time.

National coach Wahyudi Hidayat was quoted as saying by Antara yesterday that the current training schedule will not allow any foreign tours before the Asiad, which is scheduled to take place in Hiroshima next October.

"The issue is time, not funding," he said. "Foreign tours are not essential for our success."

Wahyudi emphasized that Indonesian cyclists still "have a good chance" to seize a medal in Hiroshima.

"Heriyanto, one of our top cyclists in the 1,000 meter event, has a record which is only marginally lower than the Asian record," he said.

The coach said his decision is supported by his Australian consultant Shayne Bannan. (hdj)