SEA Games training director accepts chosen wushu team
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)