Tennis team to adopt low profile in SEAG

JAKARTA (JP): Tennis will no longer be Indonesia's reliable gold mine, as it was in past SEA Games, when the biennial sporting event arrives here next year.

The Indonesian Tennis Association's Secretary-General, Zainal Abidin, said yesterday he was not sure how many gold medals would go to Indonesia, but promised to push his players to go the limit next year.

"We dare not speak about the commitment to win gold medals at this very early stage, because we don't know yet whether Yayuk Basuki and Romana Tedjakusuma will accept our calls," Zainal said.

Yayuk, currently world number 33, will step down from competition next year. Her Olympic doubles partner, Romana, has opted to focus more on her studies than her career in tennis.

"The two have been our best hopes so far for winning gold medals. Now that they are doubtful of their appearances next year, we'd rather adopt a low profile," Zainal said.

Yayuk and Romana spurred Indonesia to win three golds in the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand last December. They also served as the Indonesian Fed Cup team's backbone this year in two matches against Belgium and Switzerland.

Zainal said Indonesia plans to field players who are winners of regular selection tournaments in mid 1997 during the next SEA Games.

The national tennis body initiated the six monthly tournaments last July, which pit 16 selected players from each gender. The top eight in the tournaments will don the national colors in all international events during their six-month services.

Golf

Meanwhile Golf promised Indonesians a brighter future in the SEA Games yesterday, when the Indonesian Golf Association set a target of winning a gold and two silvers. Any medal earnings will come from national women's players.

"Female golfers apparently have better chances of winning gold medals than their male compatriots, merely because they will face easier opposition," ST Aziz, secretary-general of the golf body, said yesterday.

SEA Games golf competition will see four golds up for grabs.

Aziz said Anik Imam, Titik Puryanti, Retno Mustari, Agusta Kaligis and Jamilah look certain to line up the women's team. The men's squad will expect the services of Sukamdi, Bakri Mahmud, Deni S, Indra Achmad and Zein Saputra.

Indonesian golfers returned home empty-handed from the Chiang Mai SEA Games.

Aziz said the national golf association would not hire a foreign coach due to financial shortcomings. (amd)