Training center for SEA Games inaugurated
Training center for SEA Games inaugurated
JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) chairman
Wismoyo Arismunandar on Friday officially inaugurated the
centralized training center for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA)
Games.
The ceremony was attended by only 100 of the 454 athletes from
20 sports bodies competing in the biennial event, which is to be
held in Brunei Darussalam from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15.
Wismoyo said in his speech that athletes were responsible in
giving their best achievement to the country, which was in
crisis.
"If you fail to perform your best, you are sinful for misusing
people's money. We use their money to finance your training," he
said while pointing his finger to athletes who sat on the floor
before him.
At the end of the ceremony in KONI's office, Wismoyo sang a
marching song together with the athletes while he shook hands and
rubbed heads.
KONI plans to only send 448 athletes who are considered the
most prepared, to compete in the Games.
Despite the short training period of only two months, athletes
expressed optimism in improving records and winning medals.
Women's doubles specialist in tennis, Irawati Moerid Iskandar,
is eyed for a gold in the women's double.
"If I am chosen for the core team, I want to fight for gold,"
said the 1997 SEA Games gold medalist in the women's team.
Shooter Rina Dwi K., competing in women's double trap, hoped
to score more than 130 points, higher than her personal best two
years ago when she earned a silver medal.
"I can feel the mental pressure to achieve the goal. I am less
experienced because I only have a limited tryout," said the
second sergeant, who is an officer with the Jakarta City Police.
Women's sprinter Supiati from West Nusa Tenggara, said she
wanted to improve her personal best of 12.00 seconds in the 100-
meter dash created in a track and field simulation in July last
year.
KONI official in charge of athletes development, Mochamad
Hindarto, said some athletes from four sport bodies failed to
attend the ceremony as they were being trained outside Jakarta.
Table tennis players are training in Kediri, East Java, and
cyclists in an open road race event are being coached in
Yogyakarta.
Tae kwon do athletes are competing in the World Championships
in Canada while drivers are participating in the Grand Prix in
Beijing.
Hindarto said four other sports have finished overseas
tryouts. They are badminton in the Sudirman Cup and World
Championships in Copenhagen, karate in the World Championships in
Copenhagen, track and field and boxing in the 1999 Arafura Games
in Darwin, Australia. Indonesians track and field athletes also
competed in the Chinese Taipei Open.
Other sports, which will have overseas tryouts to attend, are
billiards and snooker, bowling and shooting in Brunei Darussalam,
basketball in the Philippines, traditional boat racing in Taipei,
women's karatekas to Tokyo while the men's to Malaysia, water
polo to Rumania, swimming to Singapore, and table tennis to
China. Soccer players will fly to Europe for friendlies.
The 1997 SEA Games training executive director, Djoko Pramono,
said Indonesia would have to fight hard in the Games to retain
its overall title due to the short training period.
"We only have two months left. Each sports organizations must
motivate their athletes, because motivation can overshadow the
lack of technical skill and physical endurance," he said. (ivy)