Women's soccer team prepares for the Games

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian wrestlers, soccer players and softballers will compete overseas in preparation for the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here in October.

Indonesia's women's soccer team will go to Hong Kong and China, softballers will go to China and wrestlers will go to Rumania.

Women's soccer coach, Muhardi, said the team had played 15 friendlies against men's teams.

"We only played against one women's team, Buana Putri, at the beginning of our training program," he said.

The women's squad, comprising 21 players and three officials, will play against Hong Kong in Hong Kong on July 23 and July 25.

The team then plays the Chinese army team in Guang Zhou, China, on July 27 and July 29.

Muhardi said the athletes would be making history at the SEA Games because it is the first time women's soccer has been included in a multisport event since the Indonesian Ladies Football League was formed in 1969.

The league's chairwoman, Isti Dary Sofia, said eight athletes will be cut from the squad after a competition in Malaysia next month.

Fifteen softballers will leave today for a two-month stint in Beijing and Kan Tsung, China.

The Indonesia Amateur Baseball and Softball Federation's secretary-general, Suryo Adiprasetyo, said Chinese technical supervisor Li Min Kwang had urged the federation to send Indonesia's SEA Games team to China.

Li was China's head softball coach at the Centennial Olympic Games.

Coach Adjang Suparlan said the players were motivated to win the SEA Games gold by beating the Philippines - a team they have beaten at the Games.

"They are eager to make history by winning gold," he said.

Adjang said the players had to undergo the five-day program to improve their motivation and discipline.

The Indonesian Wrestling Association's chairman, Killian Sidabutar, said Indonesia aimed to win 12 of the 20 gold medals on offer at SEA Games.

"We are urging each athlete to win the gold in their class. If all athletes can do so, we will make a clean sweep. It's not a promise but we will try hard," he said.

The 24 wrestlers will leave for Rumania on Monday for one- month stint.

The wrestlers will compete in two international events there.

The association will select a final squad of 20 - 10 for the free class and 10 for the Greco Roman class - after the wrestlers return.

Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand are Indonesia's strongest competition in wrestling.

Sidabutar said he was satisfied with his wrestlers' physical condition. (yan)