Swimmers' overseas training hoped to boost medal chances

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.