RI to host Asian Cup Baseball Championship
JAKARTA (JP): Six second division teams are expected to compete in the fourth Asian Cup Baseball Championship at the Senayan Baseball Stadium next month.
"Besides Indonesia, five other countries will compete in the event. They are Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Thailand and Uzbekistan," said Indonesian Baseball and Softball Association (Perbasasi) vice chairman Harry A. Tresnadi on Wednesday.
The event will take place from Feb. 18 until Feb. 25.
"The winner and runner-up of the championship will then be promoted to the first division event which will have its championship in Taipei in April. Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines will be challenged by the two promoted countries in this division," Harry said on the sidelines of the National Sports Council (KONI) three-day national congress in Senayan.
"I'm sure we can win the second division championship this year and be promoted to the first division even though we will face tough competition from Thailand. When we participated in Bangkok in 1997, we were the runner-up after the host," he said, adding that Indonesia missed the 1999 event in India.
"And if we are promoted to the first division, it will be easier for us to compete in the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea. But I'm not sure if KONI will be willing to send a baseball team to Pusan since it's unlikely we'll win any medals.
"It will be a long time before we can participate at an Olympic level. Even in the Asiad, we are no match for baseball giants like Japan and South Korea."
In the Sydney 2000 Olympics, South Korea beat Japan 3-1 to grab the bronze medal. The United States won the gold, defeating defending champion Cuba 4-0.
"Perbasasi will also stage a national junior championship in June as a part of our preparation for the junior championship in Taipei staged in August or September," said Harry.
In the junior or AAA category, Indonesia reached its best achievement as the sixth finisher in the 1998 championship in Osaka, Japan. (nvn)