Women's cagers start SEAG training

Women's cagers start SEAG training

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Basketball Association started
its women's training program yesterday, though only three players
showed up.

With only seven months remaining before the 19th SEA Games
scheduled to begin here Oct. 11, the association, which expects
to win one gold from the men's team, is having problems
gathering its athletes for training.

Chinese coach Wang Chang You, who arrived on Jan. 28, was
upset to find only three players at the session.

"He was very upset and disappointed because he has had nothing
to do since January and had to spend Imlek (Chinese new year)
here alone," said Anton Sugiarto, the association's official who
is also an interpreter for Wang.

Wang coached the three athletes -- Nina, Puspa Indah and
Liana, all from Jakarta -- who began training last January. He
will be assisted by Sim Kim Lay and Ridwan Prayogo of Indonesia.
Neither assistant coach showed up yesterday.

Nina said that teammates Theresia Ninon and Merciana Anggani
had joined the training program but had skipped yesterday's
session. Ninon went home to Bogor, West Java, and Merciana had to
work.

"We join with other clubs to practice in the afternoon," said
Nina, who is a student at the University of Indonesia's School of
Politics and Social Sciences.

Wang, an army brigadier general in China, said that he had yet
to decide on a program as he was just getting to know the
athletes.

"He needs to know all the athletes before deciding what
program he will apply. He has no idea which Southeast Asian
country is the best because he usually coaches the men's team in
China," said Anton.

The association plans to groom 20 athletes on each team, men's
and women's, from January to April. In May, the association will
choose 15 athletes for the final training round.

As of today, however, only 12 male and three female players
have shown up for training at the Senayan Basketball Hall.

The association's administrator, Sudarno, said that the
association's East Java branch would conduct physical tests today
on its top 10 athletes.

"Hopefully they will arrive on Thursday," he said.

The association plans to send the women's team to the second
Southeast Asian Basketball Association's championship in Thailand
this June.

Five male cagers -- Suko Daryono, Eko Hariyanto, Ali
Budimansyah, Agung Sunarko and Saut Lambok Jonson -- have been
missing from training since the Idul Fitri break. (yan)