RI sweeps 30 golds at Arafura Games
RI sweeps 30 golds at Arafura Games
By Primastuti Handayani
DARWIN, Australia (JP): The eight-day Arafura Games in Darwin
ended Saturday, with the Indonesian team sweeping 30 golds, 21
silvers and 17 bronzes.
Indonesia, which sent mostly second-string athletes except for
softball, gymnastics and track and field, used the biennial event
as a warm up for the SEA Games in Jakarta in October.
Indonesia finished third after Australia, which fielded 11
teams scooping 135 golds, 128 silvers and 136 bronzes.
Malaysia, which fielded six teams, finished second with 35
golds, 32 silvers and 32 bronzes.
Other SEA Games countries -- Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei
Darussalam, Vietnam and Singapore -- also sent second-string
athletes to the Games, leaving the Indonesian contingent little
knowledge about their strength for the SEA Games. Most of their
athletes are training in the United States or Europe.
Indonesia has five months to improve its athletes'
performances.
Some coaches in the Indonesian team have complained about
their athletes lack of international experience, saying it stops
them improving their competitive spirit despite their good
technique.
Russian gymnastics coach Ioury Kouznetzov said after the
gymnastics competition that the four gymnasts -- Sherly
Novitasari, Eliningsih, Nurfiana Akhmadi and Helda Sulistina --
only had the Arafura Games as a tryout for the SEA Games.
"They need more international competition. We only had the
Arafura Games but I think three golds will improve their fighting
spirit," he said.
The four gymnasts performed poorly on the first day of
competition but improved on the second and third days by taking
three golds and three bronzes.
In track and field, Indonesia only won three golds and three
silvers. National sprinter Rabaiya, who did not follow the
women's national team to a training camp in Houston, Texas, was
no match for Australia's Nova Peris-Kneebone, an Olympic hockey
gold medalist turned sprinter, in the prestigious women's 100
meters.
Rabaiya, who only joined the national squad a month ago,
finished fourth in 12.28, far behind her personal best of 11.95.
"I could have done better if I had practiced longer. But I'll
try to make up for it up at the SEA Games," Rabaiya said.
Indonesia's Ahmad Suprianto came fourth in the men's 100
meters in 10.79, 0.13 seconds behind his personal best.
His coach, Johny Makawimbang, blamed the poor performance on a
late start. But Ahmad and Rabaiya have a long way to go to beat
their rivals at the SEA Games.
There will be almost 100 gold medals on offer in Gymnastics
and track and field at the biennial event. And Indonesia is
pulling out all stops to prevent Thailand humiliating its team at
home.
"We have to regain our honor which was taken away by Thailand
in the 1995 Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand," said Wismoyo
Arismunandar, National Sports Council chairman.
With only five months left, Indonesia's athletes, coaches and
officials have a tough job ahead to take the SEA Games overall
title from Thailand.
But can they do it? We must wait until October to find out.