Swimming nationals start on Friday

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Swimming Federation of Indonesia (PRSI), while conceding its athletes lag behind their peers in the region, is hoping for new national records when swimmers from 23 provinces compete in age group nationals this weekend.

Chairman of the national championship organizing committee Lukman Niode said on Tuesday that 276 men's and 177 women's swimmers would compete at Senayan swimming pool in Central Jakarta from Friday to Sunday

"We hope swimmers could break national records in the national championship," he told a press conference.

According to Lukman, a national record breaker will receive a bonus of Rp 10 million (US$1,050), while an age group national record breaker will get Rp 2 million bonus.

The championship features five age groups: senior (above 18 years), age group I (15-17 years), age group II (13-14 years), age group III (11-12 years) and age group V (under 10).

The national championship is the first event held by PRSI under the leadership of newly appointed chairman Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who is also minister of energy and natural resources.

The championship will begin on Friday in two sessions, from 9 a.m.to noon, and from 2 p.m.

Lukman said that the national championship, which is also part of the preparations for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in Manila later this year, was a crucial part of the effort to improve the performance of swimmers.

"Our current group of swimmers is unable to compete with those from other countries in Southeast Asia," he said.

"It's in contrast to the situation in the late 1970s and early 1980s when we dominated the swimming competition in Southeast Asia."

The federation has also sent swimmers to train in the U.S. and Australia.