Willem ready to replace Juan for training in Cuba

Willem ready to replace Juan for training in Cuba

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian light welterweight (63.5 kgs) boxer
Willem Papilaya said he was ready to replace Juan Sapariban for
an overseas stint in Cuba before the national squad leaves for
the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur in September.

Juan missed the program because he was not allowed to leave
the Military School for Noncommissioned Officers in East Jakarta
for more than a month.

The Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association (Pertina) has
assigned Willem, who is a second sergeant of the Army's Special
Forces (Kopassus), to fill Juan's place.

"I have received approval from my commander to leave my duty.
The training session in Cuba will be my first experience.
Although I have just joined the SEA Games training on July 14, I
will try to adjust myself to the training method," Willem said on
Wednesday.

Pertina picked up Willem earlier to replace Stevi Binalay in
the same weight division. Stevi must be out of the ring for three
months after being knocked out twice at the Arafura Games in
Australia in May and the King's Cup boxing championships in
Bangkok early this month.

Willem will fly to Cuba along with brother Albert Papilaya on
Aug. 4. They will join four other boxers: Hendrik Simangunsong
(middleweight), Joko Suryono (light middleweight), Agustinus
Romroman (featherweight) and Bonix Saweho (light flyweight), who
have been training in Cuba since July.

Pertina's deputy secretary general Didiet Soedijoto said that
Willem's past experiences and good posture would help him in the
training.

"We hope that he can perform well."

He said he had asked the coaches to prepare a special training
program for Willem and Albert.

Starting on Aug. 1, the boxing training will be moved either
to Sukabumi or Cipanas, West Java. Boxers have been groomed at
Kopassus' headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, since July 1.

The first phase of the training was conducted in Ragunan
sports school in South Jakarta.

"The training project manager, Ignatius Mulyono, has agreed
that the second phase of the training in Kopassus' headquarters
would only last for one month. Certainly there are the positive
and negative impacts," Didiet said.

"The boxers find the training at the Cijantung distressful,
because all the officers are under pressure for the heated
political situation. The rules in the headquarters are also very
severe, the boxers are not allowed to leave the site wearing an
informal suit or sandals.

"On the other hand, moving the training venues will reduce the
boring situation. We also want to separate the training program
of SEA Games boxers with their juniors in Ragunan," he said.
(ivy)