Sports council to decide on Sandry's Asian Games trip
Sports council to decide on Sandry's Asian Games trip
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Sports Council (KONI) said that it had allowed
itself time to wait for the latest development in Sandry Liong's
fitness before deciding whether the wushu hopeful should proceed
to the Asian Games.
"We are still waiting for the doctor's report," Indonesian
contingent's Chef de Mission Rudolf S. Warouw said here on
Tuesday.
Warouw and other KONI officials met their counterparts from
RCTI at KONI headquarters in line with the television channel's
arrangement for live broadcasting from the Asian Games, to be
held in Busan, South Korea.
The two-week Asian Games will start on Sept. 29. Indonesia
will send 100 athletes to compete in 20 sports. However, the
number could reduce to 99 if Sandry failed to recover from his
injury in time.
"We are anxious to see him fit again. He will be too good to
be left behind because he is one of the athletes we can rely on
to win a medal," Warouw said.
Warouw's statement dispelled media reports that Sandry had
already been eliminated from the contingent.
Sandry sustained a backbone injury while practicing during his
month-long China outing, which was the last of three tryouts
engaged in by the wushu team in its preparations for the Asian
Games.
Sandry won one of the 13 gold medals the team was awarded in
its warmup competition at the Afro-Asia championship in Cairo,
Egypt, in July.
He is one of seven chosen for the Busan trip. The other six
are Alexander Edward Marentek, Arif Harsoyo, Seno Prakoso, Dwi
Arimbi, Nurdiana and Susyana.
Chairman of the Indonesian Wushu Association Mediteransyah
said that Wednesday should seal Sandry's fate when medical
attendant for the contingent Dr. Tugini was expected to deliver
his report.
He said that he was not too worried about the team's medal
prospects should Sandry be barred on medical grounds.
"We still have Seno; he is as tough as Sandry," he told The
Jakarta Post.
After its impressive performance in Cairo and a workout in
China, the team, according to Mediteransyah, would be seeking
three medals in Busan.
"We are confident about three medals, possibly from Seno, Dwi,
Susyana, Arif or Alex," he said.
But he did not specifically state what kind of medal. He only
said, "The draw will determine our athletes' medal hopes. If they
are paired with really tough opponents in the semifinals, we are
resigned to their winning a bronze."