'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)