Swimmers' overseas training hoped to boost medal chances

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Intensive overseas training programs in the United States and Australia are expected to put the country's swimmers in gold medal-winning mode.

Six of 10 swimmers have already left for training in either the United States or Australia as part of the plan of the Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) to take at least four golds in the 2005 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games.

Male swimmers will be particularly important in the medal quest, PRSI secretary-general Abdurrahim Napitupulu said on Monday.

"We won two golds in the 2003 SEA Games, but we hope this year that we can win three or four golds after sending a number of swimmers to be trained in the U.S. and Australia."

He named M. Akbar Nasution (100 meters breaststroke) and Andi Wibowo (100 meters butterfly) as having outstanding chances at the Games in November in the Philippines.

PRSI originally planned to send 12 swimmers to train overseas, but the National Sports Council (KONI) only approved 10 applications.

Akbar left for Australia at the end of last year. Felicia Tjandra, Yuliana Malindha, Magdalena Sutanto, Sherly Yunita and Bobby Bangkit Guntoro left for Florida last week for study- training programs.

Andi Wibowo, Herry Yudhianto, Nancy Suryaatmadja and Lina Cahya Utami are awaiting the completion of their visa requirements before leaving for California.

Unlike the others, they failed to meet scholastic aptitude requirements, including in English-language proficiency, and will not take classes.

Abdurrahim hoped the four swimmers would not be discouraged by failing to gain entry to study programs, saying they could take English-language courses in the U.S. and reapply for university next year.

If the program proves successful, it would be continued in preparation for the 2006 Asian Games and 2007 SEA Games.

Aside from the overseas training, the association is also holding training programs here for prospective SEA Games swimmers.