Three athletes withdraw from Asian Games team

Three athletes withdraw from Asian Games team

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Taekwondo Association's
preparations for the 13th Asian Games received a knock yesterday
as three female athletes decided to withdraw from the national
training center for the event.

The association's general secretary, Djarkasih Hamid, said
flyweight Yolandini, lightweight Popy Tresnawati and bantamweight
Umi Alifah had quit the training center in Ragunan, South Jakarta
apparently citing school commitments.

"I haven't heard any other reasons except that they want to
concentrate on their studies. Of course we have no right to ask
them to stay if they don't want to," Djarkasih said.

He dismissed speculation that internal conflicts had caused
the trio to quit.

The three athletes, all from West Java, are university
students.

Djarkasih said he had not reported the unprecedented
withdrawal to the National Sports Council.

He said the departure of the three athletes would affect
Indonesia's medal-winning chances in the December Games, which
will offer 14 golds in the South Korean martial art competition.

They have just returned from the Asian Championships in
Vietnam, where Umi took a bronze medal. She won a gold in the
19th Southeast Asian Games here in October last year by beating
tough opponent Usa Sinlapajarn of Thailand in the final.

Djarkasih said the national taekwondo body had expected the
trio to bring home medals from the Bangkok Asian Games due to
their fast-improving performances.

The withdrawal may also force the association to make changes
to its line-up for the Asian Games. It had recommended that the
sports council name 15 athletes, six of them female, for the
Asiad.

Djarkasih said finding late replacements looked impossible
because it would be very difficult to make the new recruits fit
enough in just a few months.

The national training center for the Asiad started in February
and will end in October.

Djarkasih said the chances of his athletes now triumphing in
the quadrennial event were slim because the remaining athletes
were not in the same league as the three that withdrew.

In the Asian Games, Indonesia will face strong opposition from
South Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam. (emf)