West, East Java vie for 2nd place at National Games

JAKARTA (JP): West Java and East Java, traditional bridesmaids to long-time overall champion Jakarta, continued their hard- fought battle for a consolation second place in the National Games medal tally yesterday.

With 202 gold medals left to be won after the sixth day of competition yesterday, Jakarta extended its commanding lead with 87 golds, 51 silvers and 53 bronzes.

West Java enjoyed its biggest margin against arch rival East Java, collecting 43 golds, 48 silvers and 48 bronzes to stay in second place. The West Javanese now stand nine golds clear of East Java, which relinquished the runner-up spot to West Java for the first time in the 1993 Games.

East Javanese archers showed the province's tremendous determination to fight to the end when they swept six of 10 golds on offer in the traditional events yesterday.

The boxing ring looks likely to help West Java pull away from East Java today. West Java and Jakarta shared the lion's shares in today's finals with four boxers each after yesterday's semifinal bouts.

But in the soccer, the Games' most popular sport, West Java was sent packing following its 1-1 draw with South Sulawesi in their crucial Group H match yesterday. South Sulawesi finished second in the group behind East Java and will meet defending champion Irian Jaya in Tuesday's semifinal. East Java will take on North Sulawesi in the other semifinal.

Medal haul

The nation's best swimmers expanded Jakarta's medal haul yesterday, winning three more golds from Sutanto twin bothers of Albert and Felix and Indonesia's Olympian Richard Sam Bera. Albert was also named best male swimmer, winning five golds and breaking a national record. West Java's Catherine Surya was named best female swimmer.

In track and field, it was Agustinus Ngamel of Maluku who stole the show when he confirmed his new billing as the country's fastest man with victory in the 200m.

Ngamel, who won the men's 100m dash in 10.51 seconds on Thursday, struck his second gold in a personal best of 21.52.

Ricky Yusuf of Jakarta was granted the silver after a photo finish analysis. Both he and pre-race favorite Yanis Roubaba of Irian Jaya clocked 21.55.

"I am very surprised to win this event," Ngamel said after the race. "Roubaba was better than me in the last two years. His best time was 21.32 and I was not sure I could beat him."

Ngamel's previous best time was 21.81, clocked in 1994 at the national junior track and field championships.

In the other upset of the day little known Supriati of Jambi upstaged hot favorites Tri Asih Handayani and Rumini Sudragni, both of Central Java, in the women's 5,000m.

Asian Championships silver medalist and national record holder Handayani clocked a disappointing time of 17:27.41 to finish second behind Supriati who set 17:11.08. Rumini was third with 17:53.93.

Handayani's personal best of 16:39.78, set in last year's Asian Championships here, remains intact.

"I am very, very upset," said a suddenly taciturn Tri Asih, "I am not in the best condition for this..." Refusing to explain further, Handayani went immediately to the doping control room.

Only three meet records were broken yesterday, thanks to commendable showings by Irian Jaya's female shot putter Rosalia Kahol, men's discus thrower Ismail Sroyer, also from Irian Jaya, and West Javanese Martini Kustiyah in the women's 100m hurdles.

Kahol, making her Games debut, threw a personal best of 13.19 meters. "I always think of breaking the national record set by my senior Yosephine Mahuse," said 20-year-old Kahol. The national record of 14.34m was set by Mahuse in 1989.

Sroyer threw 46.56m to better his own 1993 meet record of 45.96m. Yet the 31-year-old still fell short of improving his 48.62m national record.

The silver medalist of last year's national bodybuilding competition attributed his failure to renew his national record to inadequate preparation.

"I only trained properly and intensively with my coach here since Aug. 17 (or roughly a month ago). This was certainly not enough. But my coach was not available before that date," he said. (arf/amd)

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