Softball body wants a clean-sweep in SEAG

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Amateur Baseball and Softball Federation has set its sights on making a clean-sweep of the two gold medals in softball at the 19th Southeast Asian Games here next year.

Doedie Gambiro, the federation's head of softball development, said yesterday that to achieve this Indonesia would have to beat the Philippines, the region's most powerful softball playing country.

"We often manage to advance to the finals only to lose to the formidable Philippines," Doedie said during a softball seminar at Atma Jaya University.

Softball has been included again as a medal event in the SEA Games after it was excluded from the 1991 Manila Games.

Doedie said although the target seemed "too ambitious" he was optimistic Indonesia could do it. "This was mainly based on the athletes' performances in the last National Games."

The federation has picked 38 male and 32 female athletes to participate in a decentralized training program. Players from Jakarta and West Java are likely to form the nucleus of the men's and women's teams.

The first selection trial is next month when 24 men and 24 women will be chosen.

"The selection trial will last six days," Doedie said.

The final selection trial will be in August and 17 men and 17 women will be chosen to don the national colors at the Games.

Doedie said the federation plans to send both teams to take part in January's New Zealand Open.

They will also participate in the Arafura Games in May before going to Canada.

"We've invited a technical consultant from China, Li Min Kwan to oversee the training sessions. Li was instrumental in China's success in winning the silver medal in men's softball at the Atlanta Olympics," Doedie said.

Doedie said that after returning home from Canada, the federation was going to hire a foreign pitcher, from Australia or New Zealand, to train improve Indonesia's batting. (yan)