SEA Games health tests for athletes delayed

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)