Tae kwon do pair aims for world title

Tae kwon do pair aims for world title

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With 2003 World champion Juana Wangsa Putri absent from next
month's 2005 World Tae kwon do Championship in Madrid, it will be
up to Rahadewi Neta and Aristi Perwita Sari to bring home gold.

Neta and Wita said on Wednesday they hoped to repeat the
success of Juana, who is unable to compete due to study
commitments, in the Spanish city on April 13-17.

"We have a chance to win a title, but I hope I won't meet
tough competitors in early rounds," said finweight fighter Neta,
who lost in the second round during her debut at the 2003 worlds.

Her toughest opposition in the weight class (47 kg and below)
is expected to come from Korea, Spain, Germany and the United
States.

She noted that Juana's world crown in the flyweight class
(over 47 kg but not exceeding 51 kg) came through good
preparation, reaching her peak at the event and a favorable draw.

Wita, who competes in the bantamweight class (over 51 kg but
not exceeding 55 kg), admitted to having nerves before her first
world championship.

She won bronze in the Asean Tae kwon do Championship at home
late last year.

"Of course I want to win a title in the world championship
although I know the opponents are tough," she said.

Agus Sumarno, a coach in the Indonesia Awakens (IA) elite
training program, said local fighters were as technically
skilled as their foreign opponents, but their mental toughness
was still suspect.

"So athletes must learn to fight all out in every match and
not be afraid of any opponents," he said.

"Juana proved it in 2003, so why can't others do the same
thing."

With the women off to Madrid on April 8, five men's fighters
will depart to Riyadh on April 4 to participate in the 1st
Islamic Solidarity Games on April 8-20.

Satrio Rahadani, Basuki Nugroho, Roni Kusdiantoro, Derry
Darmansyah and Taufik Kresna will compete.

Olympian Satrio said he recently reinjured his ankle, but he
would still compete.

"I had it in the Olympic Games last year, but I was able to
recover. I suffered the same injury again when practicing jumping
recently," he said.

"But I will do my best to win gold in the Islamic Solidarity
Games."