Sports bodies prepare for SEA Games
JAKARTA (JP): Five sports bodies reported their preparations for the upcoming 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to the National Sports Council yesterday.
Muhammad Hindarto, the council's deputy for athlete development, told reporters after the meeting that the five bodies consulted their athlete programs and event preparations for the biennial event.
"They reported the number of athletes for the long-term national training, the training system and programs," he said.
Representatives from The Indonesian Track and Field Association, the Indonesian Swimming Association, the Indonesian Shooting Association, the Indonesian Boxing Association and the Indonesian Gymnastics Association attended the meeting.
"All five bodies will arrange their respective training programs after Oct. 25. The council will only give guidelines, and each body will have to describe their programs," Hindarto said.
The council will establish a temporary board consisting of six experts to give a refresher course to coaches on the arrangement of the training programs on Nov. 11 in Ciloto, West Java.
Eighty-two track and field athletes, 28 swimmers, 37 shooters, 33 boxers and 31 gymnasts are expected to take part in the program.
"But we haven't yet decided whether to conduct centralized or decentralized training. It depends on each body," Hindarto said.
Lukman Niode, an official of the swimming association, said that 10 of the country's backbone swimmers will conduct overseas stints.
Male swimmers Richard Sam Bera, Wisnu Wardhana, twins Felix and Albert Sutanto and young hope Audi Oktavian, along with female swimmers Elsa Manora Nasution, Olga Halim, Meitry Widyastuti Pangestika and Rita Mariani, will go to the United States. Only Catherine Surya will continue her stint in Australia.
They will leave, hopefully, next month. Another 18 second string swimmers will be trained here.
Indonesia only managed to grab four golds, nine silvers and 17 bronzes in the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Host Thailand dominated the pool by sweeping 22 golds, 19 silvers and 11 bronzes. A total of 39 medals are on offer next year.
Benny Mamotu, a shooting organization senior official, said four Chinese coaches have been contracted to train military officials at the Army's Strategic Reserves Command headquarters in Cilodong, Bogor, West Java.
The program aims at blocking Thailand's bid to retain the overall title. Shooting offers 42 gold medals in the next Games.
Last year, Indonesia was only able to bring home two golds, three silvers and three bronze medals, compared to Thailand's 19 golds, 12 silvers and seven bronzes.
Didit Soedijoto, secretary-general of the boxing association, said out of 33 boxers, only one could not take part in the program due to his job promotion, and has to be replaced.
Seven boxers arrived yesterday. By Oct. 21, the association expects all boxers will gather for the program at the Army's Special Forces headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta.
Indonesia failed to win any gold medals and only earned five silvers and three bronzes in the last Games. Thailand, one of Asia's powerhouses in boxing, dominated the medal race by collecting 11 golds and one bronze. (yan)