Sports council announces Busan 2002 athlete list

Sports council announces Busan 2002 athlete list

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After several days of tense anticipation, the National Sports
Council (KONI) announced on Tuesday a list of 171 athletes who
will be vying for medals with the national team for the 2002
Asian Games in Busan (the city formerly known as Pusan), South
Korea.

The roster also includes the names of 76 coaches, four of whom
are foreigners, and managers.

All 41 athletes who were named last month to a list of medal
hopefuls and have already begun intensive training, were on
Tuesday's list as well.

"Most of the athletes and coaches to be sent to the Asian
Games will be taken from this list. But we will still allow
sports organizations to change their athletes based on recent
achievements," Asian Games training director, Imron ZS, told
reporters at KONI headquarters.

He said KONI had delayed the announcement because KONI had to
wait for several sports organizations to submit their revised
team lineups, including archery and tennis.

KONI had previously planned to announce the full list on
Friday last week but then postponed it to Monday before Tuesday's
announcement.

Meanwhile, veteran tennis players Yayuk Basuki and Romana
Tedjakusuma have submitted their resignations, forcing the
Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) to name Wukirasih Sowandari
and Liza Andriyani.

Also opting out of the Asian Games training sessions are
veteran archers Rusena Gelanteh and Lilies Handayani who resigned
from the Asian Games squad. The Indonesian Archery Association
(Perpani) then submitted Yuli Hidayana, Eniwati and Lusia
Elizabeth Sumampouw.

The Indonesian Weightlifting, Heavylifting and Bodybuilding
Association (PABBSI) has yet to name its athletes, because it is
awaiting the outcome of the national championships slated for
February 2002.

Imron said the list was not complete yet as KONI was still
waiting for several sports organizations to submit the names of
their foreign coaches.

Sports such as karate and rowing are still finalizing
negotiations with foreign coaches.

Currently, the list contains wushu coach Wang Xian Kang from
China, boxing coach Carlos Jesus Penate Torres from Cuba,
gymnastics coach Rafael Figueroa Alcolea from Australia and beach
volleyball coach Kenneth Michael Breen also from Australia.

The Asian Games squad is slated to be formalized on Jan. 15
and training with the team will start them, although the 41 medal
hopefuls began training last month.

Imron also warned all athletes that being on the list did not
guarantee an automatic berth on the national team.

"KONI will conduct three tests to evaluate athletes' progress
in January, April or May and in July as we have to submit the
entry forms (to Busan) in early August," he said.

"We will immediately dismiss any athletes if they fail any of
the three tests or fail to show clear progress," he warned.

Imron also cautioned that the participation of a group of 77
young athletes on the list was entirely dependent on KONI's
request for an Olympic Solidarity Grant for promising young
athletes.

Intended to develop young athletes for the Athens 2004 Olympic
Games, the Busan Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) has
made available, a fund of some US$70,000 for each country to
assist young athletes in Olympic sports.

"KONI cannot pay for their (the 77 young athletes) presence in
the training center if it fails to get the grant money," claimed
Imron.