'SEA Games' training should be centralized'

'SEA Games' training should be centralized'

JAKARTA (JP): All sports organizations preparing for the
forthcoming SEA Games should centralize their training sessions,
an official said yesterday.

Djoko Pramono, Indonesia's SEA Games training director, said
centralized training was designed to improve the organizations'
control of their training programs.

"If an athlete wants to conduct training in his or her
hometown, there must be somebody responsible to supervise it.
Observing the present situation, I believe centralized training
is the most appropriate approach to preparing for the Games,"
Djoko said.

Djoko was of the opinion that centralization was more
effective than the decentralization forwarded by Wismoyo
Arismunandar, chairman of the Indonesian Sports Council.

According to Wismoyo, decentralized training was designed to
ensure that athletes selected for training were fit enough.

But the Indonesian Archery Association sent a letter to the
council saying that many sports organizations preferred to
centralize their training.

Organizations conducting centralized training include rowing,
volleyball, powerlifting and judo.

"If the council still wants to decentralize training, it is
difficult to develop quality athletes," the archery association
said in a letter dated Oct. 29 last year.

Djoko, however, said the council's remarks that training
should be decentralized should not be treated as a policy cast in
stone. "It was only an idea and not a policy. This is only a
start how to treat training in a more professional way."

Observing the response by most sports organizations to
decentralized training, the council eventually agreed to have
centralized training.

The other objective of centralizing training is to forge
closer cooperation between the council's central and regional
offices.

Soccer

Djoko further said yesterday that 22 soccer players are
starting a centralized training program here today.

The national team plans to take part in three major events:
the Malaysian Dunhill League from Feb. 20 to March 3, World Cup
qualifying matches in April and June and the SEA Games from Oct.
11 to Oct. 19.

"Athletes must focus their attention on the SEA Games since it
is a very important event," he said.

"There will also be friendlies between the three events," he
added without saying which countries would be picked.

The national squad comprises members of the last year's Asia
Cup Championship team. Only two players are not available for the
program.

Goalkeeper Kurnia Sandy is under contract with the Italian
team Sampdoria and Yeyen Tumena is nursing an injury.

None of the squad members undergoing centralized training are
allowed to play for their clubs in the ongoing Kansas league.

"But they are allowed to play in the final four matches. I
urge them to consider the country's interest above that of their
clubs," said the director. He said he had spoken to club owners
asking for special treatment for national squad members.

Shooting

National shooting coach Glenn Clifton Apfel said yesterday
that the Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Association will start a
centralized training program in July.

"We're going to have four training camps because many athletes
cannot join the program if it means them leaving their jobs," he
said.

The association is to stage the first camp this month. The
second will take place in March, the third is in May and the
final one in July before the centralized program begins.

Each athlete will only take part in the centralized training
camp for a week after a six-week decentralized program.

"By staging training camps, the association can reduce the
budget but the result will be better than a centralized program,"
he said.

"Based on my experience as an athlete, centralized training
programs affect athletes' performances because they become very
weary," he added.

The association plans to send its athletes to China one month
before the SEA Games' opening ceremony.

Four Chinese coaches and three local assistants are grooming
49 marksmen and women. The squad will be reduced to 42 after the
Bahari Cup championship in March.

The main squad will only consist of 37, to be picked in July.

The association is focusing on men's running target, men's mix
run running target, women's running target, women's mix run
running target and women's double trap. (lnt/yan)