Top athletes pouring into Jakarta for Bob Hasan meet

Top athletes pouring into Jakarta for Bob Hasan meet

JAKARTA (JP): American sprinter Dennis Mitchell was among the
world-class athletes who arrived here yesterday for Saturday's
second Bob Hasan invitational track and field meet.

Mitchell is currently the world number nine in the men's 100m.
His 1994 best time, 9.94 seconds, places him nine hundredths of a
second behind his compatriot, world record holder Leroy Burrell.
Burrell, who clocked the world's fastest time of 9.85, is due to
compete at an Olympic warm-up meet May 18 in Atlanta along with
Carl Lewis and Michael Marsh.

Jamaican female sprinter Juliet Cuthbert also arrived here
yesterday. Both Mitchel and Cuthbert checked into the Jakarta
Hilton International. They are staying at the hotel along with
other athletes, coaches and officials.

Germany's world discus champion Lars Riedel is scheduled to
arrive this evening.

As of yesterday, 91 athletes, 41 of whom are in the world's
top 50 in their events, have confirmed their participation in the
annual meet which was launched in 1994. This year's is on
Saturday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Senayan Madya Stadium.

The meet is officially called the International Amateur
Athletics Federation permit meet. Unlike the initial meet in
1994, it now includes world-class athletes who rank among the
world's top 50, which is a mandatory requirement for organizing
the permit meet.

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman is scheduled
to open the competition.

If successful, the championship is expected to serve as a
prelude to another track and field Grand Prix leg in Asia.

Currently, Japan is the only country in Asia which has held a
IAAF-sanctioned track and field grand prix. In addition to Japan,
India has also qualified to hold such grand prix. But its first
ever grand prix, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on May 8, has
been postponed due to parliamentary elections. (arf)