Veteran up for SEA Games selection

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite calls to inject new blood, the Indonesian Gymnastics Association (Persani) have backed 33-year-old Jonathan Sianturi for inclusion in the team for the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam.

"Given his age, we are aware Jonathan won't be able to compete in Qatar (Asian Games 2006). However, if he proves that he is the best and we believe that he can perform well in Vietnam he still deserves a place in the team," Persani secretary-general Asep Sulaeman told The Jakarta Post here on Monday.

Jonathan, who won both Indonesia's gold medals in gymnastics at the 2001 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur and was the only Indonesian gymnast at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, is among 75 people named for a two-day selection tournament that ends Tuesday.

"Jonathan can act as a motivator for his junior teammates in the team," Asep said.

Gymnastics is one of 29 sports Indonesia plans to compete in at the SEA Games in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in December.

The National Sports Council (KONI), which coordinates national training, has reiterated its preference for young athletes to attend the Games.

"We'll see if, during training, the veteran athletes are unable to improve on their Kuala Lumpur performance, then we'd better leave them," Asep said.

The selection field will include nine athletes in the men's artistic, nine in women's artistic, six in women's rhythmic and 12 in sports aerobics.

"The selected athletes will start the workout one day after the tournament. We should have started on May 1 as recommended by KONI, but the selection had been delayed by the recent Gynaestrada festival (national gymnastics festival)," Asep said.

The short-listed trainees will be whittled down to 26 athletes for the Vietnam meet.

Regarding medal prospects, Asep said Persani would not expect too much from the team.

"We do not preoccupy ourselves with the target of how many gold medals we are going to win. If we can poach one or two golds, we must be thankful.

"If not, we will not be regretful. We will be simply enthusiastic to see young and potential athletes perform at the games as part of our long-term program ahead of the Asian Games in Qatar," he said.