Tennis boss disappointed with SEA Games failure
Tennis boss disappointed with SEA Games failure
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian men's tennis players received bitter slaps on their knuckles by their boss on Wednesday following their dismal performance at the Southeast Asian Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, chairman of the Indonesian Tennis Association, said after disbanding the SEA Games tennis team at the Rasuna Kuningan Club on Wednesday that lack of preparation was behind the failure.
"The men's players were not seriously prepared for the Games," Sarwono said.
After a 0-3 drubbing by Thailand in the team event, men's singles title holder Suwandi ran out of power and speed in his defeat to Thanakorn Srichapan of Thailand in their semifinal match. All two Indonesian men's pairs, who were top seeds, were whipped in the semifinals.
By contrast, Sarwono praised a Yayuk Basuki-led women's team which notched up two golds at the Dec. 9-17 Games. Yayuk won three golds for her team. But Yayuk suffered a thumping defeat to local heroine Tammarine Tanasugarn in the women's team final.
Sarwono afterward urged the men's team to practice harder in order to improve.
Sarwono, however, refused to be held responsible for his squad's failure to meet the target of winning five golds.
"I think that's irrelevant. All the blame should go to coaches and players because they know better what happens on the courts," he said.
Host Thailand took the lion's share of honors in tennis, winning one gold more than Indonesia, the strongest tennis nation in the region.
Sarwono said that the association is still taking the right steps to boost the performance of Indonesian players in the future. "This is a great challenge," he said.
Sarwono, who is also the State Minister of Environment, suggested that the National Sports Council organize and mobilize funds in an attempt to create a conducive situation for sports here.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sarwono complained that Indonesia does not have enough national players. Because of this, Indonesia had to field Yayuk Basuki at the Games.
"We realized the situation in Chiang Mai, that's the reason for sending our best team," he said.
Despite the gloomy ending at the Games, members of the national contingent coming from West Java will receive cash bonuses from the provincial sports council.
The rewards range between Rp 500,000 (US$200) and Rp 300,000. As many as 82 athletes and 22 coaches from the province took part at the SEA Games.
Antara reported that the recipients will include athletes who contributed gold medals as well as their coaches and those who failed to earn medals.
A spokesman of the provincial council said that giving rewards to athletes who perform commendably in both national and international sporting events has become a tradition. (05)