Weightlifting association to punish wayward athletes
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association's secretary-general, Djoko Pramono, told reporters yesterday that undisciplined athletes, even if they were world champions, must be punished.
Djoko said that Indonesia's two top lifters would probably be punished following their recent undisciplined behavior during the 13th Asian Games training program in Gadog, Bogor.
Patmawati, double gold medalist at the World Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, late last year, reportedly skipped training for a week while teammate Supeni was also absent due to her child being ill.
"I have received a report from their coach, Harry Wibowo, that both lifters skipped training for their respective reasons," Djoko said.
Patmawati said she was undergoing medical treatment at the National Sports Council's sports science center.
Separately, the National Badminton Center director, Christian Hadinata, also said that the Badminton Association of Indonesia would punish undisciplined athletes during training.
"There are some athletes who have been undisciplined recently, especially when they had physical tests," Christian said on Monday.
He said some athletes have been absent during the physical training and failed to attend two physical tests conducted by physical trainer Paulus Passurney.
However, Christian said he still did not know if the athletes' absence was because they were really sick or just because they did not want to take the tests.
"The officials recognized the signs when some athletes were always sick when they had to attend the physical training or take tests. But their coaches didn't even know that the athletes were sick," he said.
Christian, a former world number one men's and mixed doubles shuttler, said the situation was caused by lack of competition among the shuttlers.
The International Badminton Federation has released its seeding list for the All England Badminton Championships, which will take place next week in Birmingham, England.
Indonesia's top female shuttler Susi Susanti is seeded three at the annual event behind Gong Zhichao and Ye Zhaoying, both of China.
In the men's singles, Dane Peter Gade Christensen is the top seed, trailed by Sun Jun of China.
Reuters reported the seedings for the men's and women's singles at the championships as follows:
Men's: 1. Peter Gade Christensen (Den); 2. Sun Jun (Chn); 3/4 Dong Jiong (Chn), Poul-Erik Hoyer-Larsen (Den); 5/8 Lou Yigang (Chn), Hariyanto Arbi (Ina), Budi Santoso (Ina), Peter Rasmussen (Den); 9/16 Ong Ewe Hock (Mal), Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Den), Chen Gang (Chn), Indra Wijaya (Ina), Ardy B. Wiranata (Ina), Hendrawan (Ina), Yong Hock Kin (Mal), Rashid Sidek (Mal).
Women's: 1. Gong Zhichao (Chn); 2. Ye Zhaoying (Chn); 3/4 Susi Susanti (Ina), Wang Chen (Chn); 5/8 Dai Yun (Chn), Camilla Martin (Den), Mia Audina (Ina), Kim Ji-hyun (Kor).