RI targets two golds from pool

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) is optimistic the nation's swimmers will scoop at least two golds in relay events in the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August.

PRSI's deputy to the technical committee Gerald Item told a news conference on Wednesday that the association would rely on eight key swimmers to maintain the second medal position it gained in the 1997 SEA Games here.

He said the swimmers would be selected from senior athletes, undergoing trained abroad and here, and junior swimmers who would be picked from results of the three-day national age-group championship starting on Thursday.

Only swimmers displaying the best form in various swimming competitions this year will be named to the country's squad. They are expected to meet Indonesia's best records produced in the 1997 biennial event.

Swimmers undergoing training abroad include veteran Richard Sam Bera, Catherine Surya, Rita Mariani, Wisnu Wardhana, Meitri W. Pangestika and Sylvi Triana.

"The association wants to send eight swimmers, at the minimum, but we will also send several young swimmers who manage to attain their best form to join their seniors in the SEA Games," said Gerald, also a former national swimmer.

"In 1997, we only targeted four but we got 11 golds. This year, we are targeting two to four golds from the men's and women's relays because we faced a setback in our training program last year due to the monetary crisis."

Gerald said PRSI would start its centralized training program in Jakarta two weeks after the national championships.

About 402 swimmers from 20 provinces, including top swimmers Felix C. Sutanto, Elsa Manora Nasution and Steven Chandra, will take part in the championships at the Senayan pool. (ivy)