Wismoyo criticized over training

Wismoyo criticized over training

JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council Chairman Wismoyo
Arismunandar faced criticisms from women basketballers yesterday
about arrangements for female athletes in training for the 19th
SEA Games here in October.

Dwi Noviriana said the female athletes, whose night training
is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., are always late for dinner and go
without food as a result.

All athletes taking part in SEA Games training in Jakarta are
being accommodated at the Hotel Atlet Century Park in Senayan,
Central Jakarta.

"When we arrive back from training there's nothing left for us
to eat," said Dwi.

Dinner for athletes is served between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Twenty-five female basketballers arrived here Monday to start
their training with Chinese coach Wang Chang You.

Liana said that the female basketballers have to wait for long
periods for drivers to take them to the Senayan Basketball Hall.

"If we want to go practice in the morning, we have to wait for
the driver. We have to wait for up to three times for our turn,"
she said.

Endang Suharsari said that the basketballers' training is also
hampered by lack of hall space.

"Sometimes, when another club is using the hall, we can't
practice here. I hope the council can find us another place to
practice," she said.

Wismoyo responded that the Indonesian Basketball Association
is expected to solve its internal problems by itself.

"It's a small problem," he said. "I hope the association can
solve it soon. Don't make it sound so difficult.

"This hall can only be used for the country's national teams.
No other teams can use the hall. It's only for SEA Games
preparations."

Wismoyo said he expected all basketballers, both male and
female, to be more disciplined in their training.

"We have hired two foreign coaches to bring you to victory,"
he added.

The association has hired Wang and Nikolai Arkhipov of Russia
to train the men's and women's basketball squads.

Association Executive Director Sutiyoso said that the men's
team is expected to win the gold medal in the October Games,
especially given that the national squad won the Southeast Asian
Basketball Association (SEABA) Cup in Surabaya last year.

Basketball Training Executive Director Sri Sudono Sumarto said
that 17 male and 25 female athletes are currently undergoing
centralized training in Jakarta.

The association will select 20 athletes on March 8. By mid-
April, 15 of those will have been named for the main squad.

The women's team will go to Thailand in April to take part in
the Asia Championships and will compete in the SEABA Cup in
Singapore in June.

The men's squad will also take part in the SEABA Cup, followed
by the Asian Basketball Confederation Cup in Jakarta in July, the
Bhinneka Cup in Surakarta, Central Java, in August and the Asia
Cup in Saudi Arabia in September.

Sutiyoso indicated that the SEA Games Consortium, which is
chaired by President Soeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo,
is likely to finance the construction of a new sports hall on
land currently occupied by the Senayan Stadium's eastern parking
lot.

"Senayan is the most suitable place. But the decision will be
made after the Games," he said. (yan)