Weightlifters dominate best athlete awards

JAKARTA (JP): Weightlifters ended the badminton squad's long- held grip on the best national athletes contest by clinching four awards yesterday.

A panel of selectors comprising sports figures and journalists named world champion Winarni the best female athlete of the year, edging out past winner and the country's best tennis player ever Yayuk Basuki, fellow lifter Patmawati, top cyclist Nurhayati, and middle and long-distance runner Supriyati Sutono.

Winarni won two golds with record-breaking marks in the 50- kilogram division of the World Weightlifting Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, last December.

Badminton players, who took four awards in last year's contest, got a consolation as world doubles champions Chandra Wijaya and Sigit Budiarto shared the best male athlete award.

Weightlifting coach Imron Rosidi collected the best coach of the year trophy, beating colleague Harry Wibowo, badminton coaches Christian Hadinata and Atik Jauhari and cycling trainers Wahyudi and Endang Subagyo.

Sri Indriyani was another athlete from the muscular sport to go home a winner. The female lifter, who triumphed in the 46kg category of the 19th Southeast Asian Games here in a world- equaling lift, outshone junior chess player Taufik Halai, Formula 3 driver Ananda Mikola, Fed Cup member Wukirasih Sawondari and professional boxer Andrian Kaspari in the most promising athlete category.

The late Soesilo Soedarman completed weightlifting's haul with the best prime mover tag, thanks to his successful tenure as the chairman of the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association.

The national dragon boat team was voted the best men's team, eclipsing the men's bridge team which won the Far East Bridge Federation championship title last year, the volleyball team, the tennis team and the softball team.

The best women's team went to the national tennis team which, despite the absence of regular backbone Yayuk, won the women's team gold medal in the SEA Games.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono attended the awards presentation organized by the Jakarta association of sports journalists yesterday.

The association first gave out the awards in 1971. (lnt)