SEA Games training director accepts chosen wushu team

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games training director and project officers have accepted the team chosen by the Indonesian Wushu Association for the coming Games.

The training director, Djoko Pramono, said yesterday that everyone was expected to accept the decision for the sake of the country at the biennial event, which starts Oct. 11 and ends Oct. 19.

"This is what we thought was the best thing to do. We have to get over all problems because the event is only 57 days away," he said.

On Tuesday, several wushu officials complained that the final selection in Beijing was unfair because the best athletes were excluded from the national squad.

The association's Central Java branch official, Robert Budi Wibawa, East Java branch official Sereno, West Java branch official Halim Wiranata, North Sumatra branch official Supandi Kusuma and the association's former secretary-general, Mediteransjah, all said they were not happy with the association's chairman, Antonius Haliman.

They complained Tuesday that only 13 athletes were selected for 19 events.

"The decision is very weird. I don't understand how Indonesia can accept it. It means an athlete has to compete in two events and it will reduce our chances of winning more gold medals," Mediteransjah said.

"Some people are not satisfied with the results. But now we have the squad, either the selection was fair or not. That's what we have now," Djoko said.

Antonius said "don't worry about that. Each athlete can compete in three events and that's why we selected only 13 athletes".

He said the 10 participating countries' representatives at last year's executive council meeting had agreed with the decision.

"No other countries complained about the decision to feature 13 athletes. We should not worry that some events will be canceled because of a lack of participants," he said.

The selection in Beijing also created controversy because athletes' parents and association branch officials were banned from watching it.

The letter announcing the ban letter was signed by wushu training director Darius Apan.

Djoko said "it's because Antonius didn't want another controversy to occur during the selection. All the jurors came from Beijing. Indonesia was only represented by Darius."

The Jakarta, Central Java, East Java, West Java and North Sumatra branches, which had athletes in China, had to contribute Rp 6 million (US$2,264) toward the two-month stint.

The association named Yenny CP, Olivia Setiadi, Shirley and Zaenab to compete in the women's taulo (gymnastic) and Hartono Seputro, Tanamal, Sutantyo Purnamadjaja and Herman Wijaya to compete in the men's taulo.

Teguh, Chris John Abby, Yani and Alfrits Maweru will compete in the sansho (fighting).

Indonesia is aiming to win six gold medals in Wushu at the Games despite the association's internal problems.

Meanwhile, training project officer Togi Hutagaol said the SEA Games consortium, which is chaired by President Soeharto's son Bambang Tri Hatmodjo, had handed over Rp 20.5 billion from its Rp 35 billion budget.

"We hope to receive the rest soon because we also need the money to buy sports equipment and to make athletes' uniforms," he said. (yan)