Swimming trials for SEA Games team in June
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Swimming Association will select young national swimmers undergoing centralized training for Indonesia's SEA Games B team.
Head coach Gerald HP Item, nicknamed Jerry, said Saturday selection would take place during the ASEAN age group championships in June here.
Jerry is grooming 15 swimmers, aged between 13 and 19 years, for the team.
"Young swimmers who don't join the training also have the chance to take part in the selection if they want to join the squad," he said.
Indonesia also has plans to groom its SEA Games A team in the United States, Singapore and Australia.
Male swimmers Richard Sam Bera, Wisnu Wardhana, twins Felix and Albert Sutanto and young hope Audi Oktavian, along with female swimmers Elsa Manora Nasution, Olga Halim, and Rita Mariani, will go to the United States.
Catherine Surya will continue her stint in Australia while Meitry Widyastuti Pangestika will train in Germany.
Indonesia managed to grab only four golds, nine silvers and 17 bronzes at the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Host Thailand dominated the pool with 22 golds, 19 silvers and 11 bronzes. Thirty-nine medals are on offer at Jakarta SEA Games.
Jerry said team B would be team A's back up during the Games which will be held here from Oct 11 to Oct 19.
"We need a regeneration to prepare more young swimmers," he said.
Jerry said the association would send those who qualified during selections for a three-month overseas stint in the U.S. They are expected to return home with team A.
"However, it depends on the association's financial condition. It's summer there and lots of competitions going on. It's the perfect time for a series of stints," he said.
Budget
Kompas reported that the Games rowing training director, Budiman Setiawan, said the National Sports Council did not provide extra money to buy new equipment for the centralized training program in Jatiluhur dam, Purwakarta, West Java.
The council gave only Rp 350.000 (US$145) a month for each athlete for their daily needs like socks and pants.
The rowers also received a Rp 300.000 monthly allowance.
Budiman questioned the council's competition subsidy of Rp 400.000 an athletes.
"It surprises me that the competition money is bigger because we rarely compete," he said. (yan)