RI students to compete in tae kwon do c'ship
RI students to compete in tae kwon do c'ship
JAKARTA (JP): Seven students are being groomed in a training
program in Batam in preparation for the 6th World Tae Kwon Do
Inter-University Championship in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from March 29
to April 2.
Chief executive of the training program, Adrian Lumowa, said
the taekwondoins were Syafrisal Tanjung from Jakarta, Ramadhani
from South Sumatra, Lambok and Bayu from West Java, Marce
Latusalo from Maluku, and Alfian and Farida Yuni from Yogyakarta.
"We have targeted a minimum of two bronzes in the
championship, the same number of medals we earned when we
competed for the first time in 1986. Hopefully, they can earn
more than bronzes," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He noted it was only the second time for Indonesian students
to compete in the event.
"Since 1986, we have been unable to take part in the five
competitions because of the poor situation and condition in
Indonesia. In addition, the competition also was not held
regularly."
He said the Indonesian Tae Kwon Do Association (TI) planned to
reduce the number of taekwondoins to four before leaving for
Taiwan.
Syafrisal will compete in the men's flyweight division, Lambok
and Ramadhani in the men's finweight division, Marce in the
women's finweight, Farida in the women's flyweight, Bayu in the
lightweight and Alfian in the featherweight.
Adrian, who is the association's official in charge of
students and college section, said it planned to send the
taekwondoins to Singapore in early March for brief overseas
training.
"We have plans to bring the taekwondoins to Singapore for a
tryout. But we are waiting for financial support from sponsors."
He said the association needed about Rp 200 million
(US$27,000) for the training preparation, transportation and
accommodation in Taiwan.
"We are still looking for more sponsorships. We are optimistic
that our young taekwondoins can go, because we have already
received support from Pak Noegroho Djajoesman, the former Jakarta
Police chief," he said, referring to Maj. Gen. Noegroho
Djajoesman, who is now the head of the National Police Staff and
Leadership School in Bandung, West Java.
He refused to mention the amount of funding he received from
Noegroho. "There's no need to talk about it. If I mention the
amount, you will be questioning from where he got the money."
He also said that the association's deputy chairman Christ
Taenar Wiluan provided a training center and boardinghouse for
the taekwondoins in Batam. Noegroho accompanied association
chairman Maj. Gen. Suharto in his visit to the training center on
Saturday. (ivy)