Rising stars sprint and walk to National Games glory

JAKARTA (JP): Agustinus Ngamel was crowned the country's fastest man as new stars stole the limelight in the 14th National Games (PON) yesterday.

The Irian-born Maluku runner, without national record holder Mardi Lestari present to pose a threat, dashed to his personal best of 10.51 seconds to win the men's 100m gold medal. His time was more than half a second slower than Mardi's record of 10.20 set in the 1989 Games.

But the 20-year-old Ngamel, his face wreathed with smiles, discounted the time. "I won a gold on my Games debut. It's wonderful.

"I am not yet ready to set the national record. It could take me two or three years, I don't know. I'd prefer to focus on the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games next year," Ngamel said.

He was called up to join the national relay team for the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand last year, but was unable to compete after contracting typhoid shortly before the event.

Ngamel gave Maluku its second gold of the meet, putting the province into 16th place. Defending overall champion Jakarta increased its haul to 32 golds, 23 silvers and 17 bronzes to go 17 golds clear of West Java. East Java kept up its pressure with just one gold less than the West Javanese.

Yesterday's gold medal earned Ngamel his second career title; he won the junior national championships two years ago.

Ngamel had expected a neck-and-neck sprint with Central Java's Khodik Juntasi and Yogyakarta's Erwin Heru, both members of the national relay team. But the old forces quickly faded, with Erwin finishing fourth and Khodik fifth.

Mardi, the two-time defending champion, failed to qualify from the heats Wednesday.

Yanis Roubaba of Irian Jaya took the silver in 10.59 seconds, ahead of Sukari of Central Java, who clocked 10.61.

Another young gun, Sutrisno of Central Java, won the men's 20km walk earlier yesterday morning. He was timed 1:46:31.70 and beat Indonesia's representatives in the 1995 SEA Games, Ede Soepandi of West Java and Karuhei Asang of Central Kalimantan.

"I have never won a gold medal since I started walking six years ago," the surprise champion said. Sutrisno, a 22-year-old graduate of a junior high school in Cepu, left Jamaluddin Lawa's seven-year-old national record of 1:35.27,00 intact.

The other events yesterday ran as expected. SEA Games women's marathon winner Ruwiyati of Central Java took the 10,000m run in a new meet record of 36:01.35. SEA Games gold medalist in this event and Ruwiyati's teammate, Rumini Sudragni, finished second in 36:54.53, well outside her SEA Games mark of 35:21.43.

East Java's Yousan Lekahena beat his own meet record of 7.59 meters by just five centimeters to retain his long jump title. Johni Tenu of Jambi also maintained his grip in the 800m, winning the gold in a new meet record of 1:52.80. National record holder Alex Resmol of East Java came second in another meet record- breaking time of 1:53.04.

In the swimming pool, Indonesia's sole Olympian, Richard Sam Bera of Jakarta, ended his gold medal drought in style. He won his favorite event, the 100m freestyle, in a new Southeast Asian record of 51.21 seconds.

Catherine Surya of West Java picked up her third gold medal in the 400m freestyle. Her time of 4:26.55 surpassed the meet record of 4:28.51 set by Elfira Rosa Nasution of Jambi three years ago. (amd)

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