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.