Sports bodies coy about medal prospects at SEAG

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian sports bodies are facing their next SEA Games challenge in Vietnam next month with reservations about the medal hunt.

Podsi, the Indonesia's rowing governing body, will set out for nine gold medals in the competition, which will include rowing, canoeing and the traditional boat race.

The number it will target is far below the 27 on offer, with coach Budiman Setiawan saying they were cautious about their opponents' progress.

"We haven't set ourselves an ambitious target, considering other countries have improved quite well. They are simply making faster progress than we are," Budiman said during a media conference here on Friday.

He said that the team, which will comprise 85 athletes, was aiming for four of eight golds on offer in the rowing event, and five of 15 in the canoeing.

Budiman said they would have no medal prospects in the traditional boat race, which provided four.

Tough competition is expected from the Philippines and Myanmar in the men's rowing; Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam in the women's rowing and Vietnam and Myanmar in both canoeing and the traditional boat race.

The squad, which is training at Jatiluhur reservoir, Purwakarta, West Java, will have an overseas tryout on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 in Chinese Taipei.

The rowing and canoeing members are training in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The Indonesian Billiards & Snooker Association (POBSI) is optimistic about the event, but Team Manager Aribinuko Tjiptoadidjojo declined to state a medal target.

"We shall try to keep our gold tradition, as we always win a double in every SEA Games," Aribinuko told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

This year's SEA Games offer 12 gold medals, four in Carom, three in pool billiards, three in snooker and two in English billiards. The team will head to Vietnam with 14 players.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association (Pertina), which is grooming nine boxers, will be looking to defend its medal collection from two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, where it won two golds.

"The athletes' skills and physical condition are good and, most important, their morale is high," Head coach Wiem said.

Thailand and the Philippines are expected to dominate the field, which will offer 11 golds, but Wiem said, "Anything could happen in the boxing."