RI track and field meet delayed due to crisis

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) has announced the postponement of the May 17 Bob Hasan Invitational track and field meet due to the country's economic woes.

"Indonesia's financial crisis has forced us to postpone the Bob Hasan Invitational," association secretary B. Chaidir confirmed Tuesday.

"Hopefully, we will hold the meet in September."

The meet was part of the International Amateur Athletics Association's calendar of events.

Held annually since 1996, the invitational is named after timber tycoon and PASI chairman Mohamad "Bob" Hasan. It offered a special prize of Rp 1 billion prize for any athlete who could break the world record for the 100 meters.

Both local and foreign athletes competed in the event, held last year in May.

Chaidir said the association had called up 16 local athletes, all of whom participated in last year's invitational, for training here to identify the best sprinters.

The eight female athletes are Supiati (West Nusa Tenggara), Turyani (Central Java), Irene T. Yoseph (Maluku), Nyoman Rai (South Sumatra), Endang Kusmiati (East Java), Dede Herawati (West Java), D. Caroles (North Sulawesi) and Yolanda Worsiwari (Irian Jaya). The men are M. Hamzah (North Sulawesi), Made Bimantara (Bali), Fransiscus Srean (Jakarta), Erwin Relando Maspaitela (Maluku), Jeffry Thana (South Sulawesi), Windarji (West Java), Herdiawan and Arief Joko Sampurno, both from East Java.

"They are expected to be in Jakarta on Monday (March 9). Thirteen have already arrived and we are waiting for the other three, Supiati, Turyani and Jeffry," Chaidir said.

"PASI will select the best athletes for the world junior championships in France, from July 28 to Aug. 2."

Supriati

The Asian Games task force chairman, Hindarto, said Tuesday that Supriati Sutono had Indonesia's biggest chance of landing a medal in athletics in the Asian Games in Thailand this December, especially in the 1,500m.

Hindarto said his opinion was based on Supriati's performances during the 19th SEA Games here in October. She won three gold medals and broke the Games records in the 10,000m, 5,000m and 1,500m.

In the Hong Kong International Gold Mile last week, Supriati finished third in the 1,500m in 4:48 minutes.

"Supriati's bronze medal in Hong Kong has added to our certainty that she will grab a medal in the Asian Games," Hindarto said. (lnt)