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)