RI sets high goals in SEAG hockey

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Hockey Association hopes to collect gold from the women's team and silver from the men's team at the 19th Southeast Asian Games here next year, providing the sport is played on artificial turf.

Primadi Tabrani, a senior association official, told a press conference after a hearing with the National Sports Council yesterday that it expects the council to feature hockey at the Games and build a Rp 1.3. billion (US$550,000) artificial pitch at the Senayan sports complex soon.

"If the council insists on playing it on grass, then we can only expect to win bronze medals," he said.

Primadi said that the country's teams must be aware of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam's skills on synthetic pitches. On grass, Thailand is likely to be the toughest opposition.

The association will select 16 male and 16 female players, although the council suggested call on only 24 athletes. Most players are members of the winning teams at the last National Games.

The long-term centralized training program will be staged in Tanjung Bintang, Lampung, which has three grass fields, and will start by the end of November.

The first selection will be staged in March and be followed by workouts in Bandung and Jakarta. In May, the association will send both teams to participate in the Arafuru Games in Darwin, Australia.

The program will continue with an overseas camp in India in June and in Pakistan in August.

"We hope the synthetic field will be ready for use in September after our return from the tour," Primadi said.

Two coaches from India and Pakistan will coach the men's and women's teams separately. (yan)