Women shooters to practice abroad

Women shooters to practice abroad

JAKARTA (JP): Three of Indonesia's top women shooters are set
for an overseas training stint in Brunei Darussalam in order to
adjust to local conditions ahead of the 20th Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games.

Coach Benny Mamoto said Sarmunah, Rina Dwi Kusumaningtyas and
Titin Indarwati would leave the country on Saturday for one-month
intensive preparations before the biennial event.

"We want them to be able to adjust to the venue and conditions
in Brunei. We also want to find shooting partners for them. The
bullet price there is also one-third cheaper than in Indonesia,
where it costs Rp 1,200 (US$0.18) each," he said.

Mamoto said the National Sports Council (KONI) had only set a
target of two silver medals, due to a crisis-induced shortfall of
funds at the Indonesian Target Shooting and Hunting Association
(Perbakin).

Lack of competition at home also contributed to the plan to
send the shooters abroad.

"Our athletes have been training maximally despite our
financial problem. As a solution, we gave a them dry shooting
session during half of the training period since May 1," Mamoto
said.

Two years ago, Indonesia bagged one gold and one silver in the
clay double trap event.

Separately, Ahmad Zarkasih Hamid, secretary-general of the
Indonesian Taekwondo Association (TI), said the national Taekwon
Doins must win in the 2000 Olympics pre-qualifying round in
Croatia from July 8 to July 11.

Indonesia will send men's and women's fly Olympic division
athletes, Satriyo Rahardani and Juana Wangsa Putri, and men's and
women's fider Olympic division athletes, Dominggus Boro and
Veronika Wedyarini.

If national Taekwon Doins fail to qualify for the Olympics in
the championships, they will have one last chance in the Asia
zone qualification to be held in Manila in September.(ivy)