RI's yachting berth at Olympics in doubt

RI's yachting berth at Olympics in doubt

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's hopes of winning a berth for the
yachting event at the Atlanta Olympic Games look dim because of
the government ban against national athletes competing in Israel.

Raymond Patamburan, the secretary general of the Indonesian
Yachting Association, said yesterday that the ban has played
havoc with the association's preparations for the Games.

Raymond was commenting on a ban imposed on Oka Gusti
Sulaksana, who was scheduled to compete in an Olympic qualifying
tournament in Israel.

Oka will have another opportunity to boost his world ranking
in three outings in Thailand and France, but Raymond said that
Oka must finish at least third in each of the tournaments to
qualify for Atlanta.

In Thailand, Oka will compete in the Asian Championship in
Pattaya from April 8th to April 12th, before leaving for France
for the Semaine Olympique Franaise D'Hyres from April 18th to
April 26th and the European Championship from May 1st to May 7th.

There are only three Olympic berths left in the men's board
for Asian players. If Oka makes it to Atlanta, he will be the
fifth Asian athlete to qualify after his rivals from China, South
Korea, Japan and Thailand.

In weightlifting, meanwhile, Indonesia set a target of winning
two Olympic berths in the final selection tournament for Asian
lifters in Yachio, Japan early next month.

National coach Harry Wibowo said one of the two best hopes is
Hari Setiawan, who triumphed in the 54-kilogram division at the
18th Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December.

The other Indonesian lifters are Wahyudi (in the 54kg
category), Taufik and Zulkarnaen (59kg), Erwin Abdullah and
Sodikin (64kg), Sutrisno (70kg), Lukman (76kg), Sunaryo (90kg)
and Mahfud (108kg and above).

Even if Indonesia fails the selection, it can ask for one of
nine wildcards offered by the World Weightlifting Federation.

Lifters from China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan and India have assured themselves of their
berths so far.

The national lifters have been undergoing training in Cisarua,
Bogor, West Java since March 1st. (05)