RI swimmers to compete in Pan Pacific c'ships

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's top swimmers will compete at the Pan Pacific championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in early August as their final preparation for the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

The swimming team's training coordinator, Lukman Niode, said yesterday the top athletes also had the option of competing at the Universiade (Student Games) in Sicily, Italy, at the end of August.

"But the Pan Pacific championships are more prestigious and more challenging for our swimmers. We also have to make sure that they have time to adjust for the SEA Games," he said.

"If they compete in early August, they still have about six weeks before competing at the biennial event," he said.

The Games will be held in Jakarta from Oct. 11 to Oct. 19.

Seven of Indonesia's top swimmers are training in California. They are Wisnu Wardhana, Albert C. Sutanto, Felix C. Sutanto, Denny Kurniawan, Audi Oktavian, Olga Halim and Elsa Manora Nasution.

Richard Sam Bera is in Arizona, and Rita Mariani will join the swimmers in California in two weeks. Catherine Surya is training in Brisbane, Australia.

Lukman said national second string swimmers would compete at the Asia-Pacific Age Group Championships in Chinese Taipei, also in August.

"We're going to pick 12 of the second stringers as back up for the elite team for the Games," he said.

The Badminton Association of Indonesia's technical coordinator, Christian Hadinata, said the association expects to have eight players instead of seven in the team for the Games.

"The executive council meeting last year decided to only have seven players in a team instead of the usual eight," he said.

The team of seven will comprise three singles players and four doubles players.

"None of our men's doubles players can play mixed doubles. As we know, we have no rivals in the mixed doubles so our chance to win the gold is very good," he said.

Indonesia will still rely on top shuttlers. Joko Suprianto, Hariyanto Arbi, Indra Wijaya, Ricky Subagja, Rexy Mainaky, Chandra Wijaya, Sigit Budiarto, Tri Kusherjanto and Flandy Limpele will play in the men's side.

Susi Susanti, Mia Audina, Meluawati, Eliza, Zelin Resiana, Deyana Lomban, Indarti Isolina, Minarti Timur and Finarsih will play in the women's side.

Indonesia is aiming to win all seven gold medals on offer.

Indonesia will also send 12 male volleyball players to compete at the Asia-Pacific Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, from June 23 to June 30, while 12 female players will compete at the world qualifying round in Chengdu, China, from June 27 to June 30.

Volleyball training director Soetardiono said the association did not expect the athletes to win or qualify for the world championships.

"We aim to see Thailand's progress so we can win gold at the Games," he said.

Indonesia expects to win gold in the men's and women's beach volleyball and the men's indoor volleyball. (yan)