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)