Rowing eyes slot in IA campaign

Rowing eyes slot in IA campaign

och. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

fter wushu, rowing is currently eying a slot in the Indonesia
Awakens (IA) program, a sporting project unveiled by the National
Sports Council (KONI) aimed at boosting Indonesia's medal count
at the 2006 Asian Games.

Budiman Setiawan, secretary-general of the Indonesian Rowing
Association (Podsi) said here on Wednesday that the Qatar Asian
Games organizers decided to include rowing in the 2006
quadrennial sporting event only in July.

"So when the IA started earlier this year, we could not
request inclusion because we were not sure about its fate in the
Games," he said.

"Now that it will be contested and we are optimistic about our
chances, we are really hopeful that our athletes have their
places in the IA campaign," he said, adding that he had submitted
the proposal and discussed the issue with IA project head Djoko
Pramono.

The IA campaign currently lists 90 athletes from 12 sports.

The Indonesian Wushu Association (WI) has also expected an
inclusion after its athletes put in a strong performance that
earned them four gold medals in the international shaolin
championships in China early this month.

Podsi's proposal contained in a letter signed by Podsi
chairman Achmad Sutjipto on Oct. 26, saying that rowing should
have good prospects of winning gold at the 2006 Asian Games,
particularly in the women's singles sculls and men's coxless
four.

Indonesia finished in fourth place in the women's singles
sculls at the 2002 Asian Games, following its bronze at the Asian
Championship in 2003.

the national team ended up in 16th place in the Olympic Games
in Athens, but, was second among Southeast Asian rowers in that
Olympics.

Meanwhile, the last showing in Asian Games in the men's
coxless four was that Indonesia managed to win a bronze in Busan
2002.