Swimming trials for SEA Games team in June
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)