Time to focus on identifying youngsters with potential
Sports consultant Hans Peter Thumm began working with the Directorate of Sports Affairs on sports development, particularly in the field of athletics, in 2003 as part of a cooperation program with the government of Germany. With the program dissolved at the end of March, the German spoke to The Jakarta Post's Moch. N. Kurniawan about the need to put in place a system to identify youth with athletic potential, if Indonesia is sincere about regaining its position as a regional sporting powerhouse.
With a population of 215 million, Indonesia clearly has the potential to triumph in sports, but its recent results have been unimpressive.
Indonesia, which dominated the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the 1980s and early 1990s, failed to finish atop the medal standings at the last three events.
A quick glance shows that declining achievements in athletics and swimming -- offering more than 20 golds respectively -- were mainly responsible for the decline.
In athletics, the country has not been able to produce new, talented athletes since the 1990s.
During my visits to various provinces, I noticed that only a few young athletes took part in athletic competitions. I was left wondering why young people were reluctant to run, and what were the athletics organizations doing to find new talent.
Confirmation of the decline came at the 2004 National Games in Palembang, where a relatively low number of junior athletes participated.
I found that the National Sports Council (KONI) and the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) have been unable to determine a suitable and strategic solution in finding and promoting athletes in a vast geographic area.
The lack of facilities, equipment, modern literature, an adequate curricula and chances for sport teachers and coaches to upgrade their skills all contribute to the problem.
Amid such unfavorable conditions, what is the likelihood of finding the athletically gifted in the still mostly rural heartland of Indonesia?
Must Indonesia wait until it finishes last in Southeast Asian athletics before trying to solve the problem?
The deficiencies are in contrast to Indonesia's neighbors: Thailand has an excellent scouting system to the National Sports School in Bangkok, Malaysia has established its outstanding Bukit Jalil Center and Vietnam is home to an impressive network of sports centers.
In recognizing Indonesia's potential as well as the problems affecting its development, Germany tried to assist through a "talent identification system" project in Papua.
The easternmost province, home to 2.2 million people, was chosen as the model because of its athletic achievements at the local and national level.
With a natural lifestyle, the Papuans have been able to maintain their unique motor potential very well, contributing to their prowess as track and field athletes.
The talent identification system basically consists of the following steps: * Formation of an organizing committee (10 people); * Education of local organizers about all aspects of identification and the organization of the test (43); * Education of local teachers/testers (503); * Talent identification of 4,000 students at elementary and junior high schools in Papua, including a period of evaluation of the basic potential; * Education of specific "talent identification coaches"; * Organization of the Papua Cup as a competition for new, talented athletes.
Talent identification gauges the predicted body height and speed ability, ascertains whether there is a high level of physical elasticity as well as the absence of orthopedic anomalies.
It is followed by a series of test-exercises, such as the measurement of body height, the rapidity of start following an acoustic signal, five throws with tennis balls and three successive frog-jumps.
Of course, all this is only the starting point. There should be a broader system that continues to support and promote the athletes in their careers -- something still absent in the country.
The athletes should undergo one to two years of a decentralized basic training program, then they must qualify for the school sport centers (PPLP).
PPLP will improve the performance of qualified athletes through an extended basic training program which takes their individual potential into consideration.
The final stage will determine whether the athletes will continue to train at PPLP until 19 years old, transfer to university sports centers or train under special coaches for further improvement and specialization.
With the talent identification system now finished in Papua, it is now up to Indonesians to continue the program to find tomorrow's world beaters.
It will take commitment and hard work. The reward will be that the present mediocre results at international competitions will become a thing of the past.