SEA Games health tests for athletes delayed

JAKARTA (JP): Sixteen out of 454 athletes who will compete in the 20th South East Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August are currently undergoing medical tests at the Sports Science Commission (KIOR) of the National Sports Council (KONI).

KIOR chief Carmen Jahja, said the original medical test schedule was postponed from April 1 to April 5, due to the slow start of the national training program.

She said the tests would be completed by early June.

Carmen said ideally, each athlete should undertake medical tests every six weeks to three months. Test results would be used by respective trainers to organize their training programs, she said.

National athletes would have to undergo three examinations before they go to Brunei later in July.

"They should have finished the first health examination in May and by June, they should undergo the second examination. We need at least six weeks for each test, to monitor how the body reacts physiologically in the training program and to enable the trainers to improve their programs."

Separately, B. Chaidir, the Secretary-General of the Indonesian Amateur Athletics Association, said the association's medical commission conducted health tests for its athletes every three months.

"We started in February. If we waited for the test organized by KONI, it would be too late."

He said the test results were used to organize their training program and that members of the commission supervised the training. (ivy)