Tae kwon do squad ready for Asiad

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The national tae kwon do squad is fired up and ready for the competition at the Asian Games, according to team's coach Dasantio Prihadi.

"The preparation has been well organized. We have taken part in three overseas competitions recently. The physical fitness of the athletes is at its peak," Dasantio told a media conference.

He said that the fitness was the department he had to work on most after the World Tae Kwon Do Federation applied a new rule.

The new rule includes a clause that says each athlete is liable to be penalized when falling to the ground.

"The physical form must be excellent. They need more stamina as they struggle to launch attacks, while they also have to keep their footing," Dasantio said.

Dasantio was accompanied by Korean coach Yu Yun-taek, who has been with the team for three months.

The squad comprises Juana Wangsa Putri, Ika Dian Fitria, Shinta Berliana Heru, Basuki Nugroho, Satriyo Rahadani, Derry Darmansyah and M. Dalam Imam.

"The athletes are highly motivated. What we need to work out further is to polish their technical and tactical skills," Dasantio said.

The team underwent a tryout at the Asian Championship in Jordan in April before closing its overseas outings in South Korea, where they took part in two tournaments.

Dasantio said that he had scouted his proteges' possible rivals since the Jordan meet.

"Almost all the participants in Jordan will show up in Busan. We know their tendencies," he said.

Busan, South Korea, is the venue of the Asian Games, which will run from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14.

The athletes also said they were ready for the challenges that were ahead.

"After training in Korea, I have become more motivated," Juana, the silver medalist at the Asian Championship, said.

"What separates us from the Koreans is that they have more tournament experience than us," he said.

Satriyo, the gold medalist at a Korean tournament, said his Busan matches would be a great challenge, and added that he was anxious to prove he could compete against the best.

Satriyo was also the silver medalist four years ago when the Asian Games were held in Bangkok. And he said that he was eager to take it one step further.

Tae kwon do is among the 20 sports that Indonesia, with a total of 100 athletes, will compete in at the Asian Games.