RI to follow Thai lead in sports

RI to follow Thai lead in sports

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia should not be shy to follow in the footstep of Thailand in developing sports in anticipation of the 1997 Southeast Asian Games here, national sports czar Wismoyo Arismunandar said yesterday.

Wismoyo, chairman of the National Sports Council, told reporters in his office yesterday that Thailand set up a orderly training program for its athletes before the 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

"Thailand focused on four main sports: track and field, shooting, swimming and gymnastics, in an attempt to sweep as many medals as possible," he said

Thailand scooped 157 gold medals to finish first in the Dec. 9-17 Games at home, with almost half of them from the four Olympic sports.

"We have to concentrate our athletes on the four main sports, which provide so many gold medals, as well," he added.

Wismoyo said that Indonesia should stop Thailand from running away with the medals in the next SEA Games here and the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998.

"Thailand groomed its athletes for the Asian Games for two years. They fielded newcomers at the just-concluded SEA Games so that its rivals didn't know their records," he said.

"In contrast, Indonesia still looked to the 1993 SEA Games and predicted results at the 18th SEA Games result based on the last Games," he added. (05)