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."