Taekwondo gears up for 1998 Asiad

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Tae kwon do Association yesterday became the first sport organization to start qualification for the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, sending 13 athletes to the Asia Pacific Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

The championships, which will run from Friday to Sunday, will serve as the first qualifying tournament for both the 1998 Asian Games and the millennium Olympic Games in Sydney.

"We just need to finish among the top eight to qualify for the Asiad," national coach Oh Il-nam said before his team's departure yesterday.

"Our prospects are pretty bad actually, because the sport has been developing quite fast in many countries," South Korean Oh, who has been in Indonesia since 1993, said.

Indonesia took two silvers and a bronze in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan.

Oh's choices for the men's division are pinweight Lugi Riyandi, flyweight Ade Yudha Lubis, bantamweight Achmad Yusuf, featherweight Pino Indra Permana, lightweight Edi Musiyamtoro, welterweight Maindra Aritomo, middleweight Robert and heavyweight Andri Halim.

The women's squad consists of flyweight Andriani Tri Asmara, bantamweight Umi Alfiah, featherweight Rita Elis Robina, lightweight Yolandini and heavyweight Sinta Berliana Heru.

All players have been preparing at the Army's base camp in Cilodong, East Jakarta, since April 10.

The Taekwondo body called 32 athletes up for the training program, but only 23 managed to appear. That number shrank to 13 after final selection on May 3. (yan)