Soesilo vows to develop sports in remote areas
Soesilo vows to develop sports in remote areas
JAKARTA (JP): Soesilo Soedarman was re-elected the chairman of the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association yesterday with two heavy tasks awaiting his attention.
Soesilo, who is also coordinating minister for political and security affairs, won unanimously in yesterday's election which highlighted the association's national congress here.
All provincial branches of the association decided to give the retired Army general his second four-year term, saying that he was the right man to lead the sports to a new high.
"I will focus my policies on the development of the sports in remote regions of the country by sending more training equipment, financial aid and taking other measures," Soesilo said after his reelection.
He said that such a massive campaign, fueled by the government's distribution of wealth, is aimed at helping under- developing local talents catch up with their world-beating countrymen.
"It's true that we need a lot of money, but I'm not afraid of that," Soesilo said. He said a group of timber companies led by tycoon Mohammad 'Bob' Hasan had agreed to financially support the program. Soesilo, however, refused to disclose the budget he has set for the program.
Soesilo said that his new tenure period will be filled with an all-out effort to improve the standard of living of the country's best musclemen and women by giving them permanent jobs.
Many lifters who won medals in the Southeast Asian Games, either in 1991 or 1993, have been admitted in state-companies. Thirty medalists now work at PT Telkom and another 11 at PT Pos Indonesia.
Soesilo said that the association is still negotiating with PT Pos Indonesia about the recruitment of 17 lifters who took home medals at the 18th SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last December.
The association is now setting its sights on winning more tickets to the Olympic Games in Atlanta this summer.
Soesilo said that several male lifters, who won the national championships recently, would participate in the international weightlifting meet in Yachio, Japan, a qualifying round for the Olympics, scheduled to take place between April 4 and 9.
Soesilo has one month to line up his staff.
"I'll discuss appointments as soon as possible. I hope that I can make an official announcement in one month's time," he said. (05/amd)