Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Indonesia will field many young athletes for the South East Asia Games 2017 on August 19-31 in Malaysia reaching 48 percent of the total.
The director of achievement of the implementing unit of the Indonesia Gold Medals Program, Mimi Irawan, said here on Tuesday the decision was taken because of the reduction in the number of athletes to be sent to the multi-event and as focus is being made on athletes who have the potential to win medals.
"The reduction is the government's decision and so we must adapt ourselves and so we will only send athletes who have the potential to win gold and silver medals," he said to the press.
He said the reduction was quite significant. In the SEA Games 2015 in Singapore Indonesia sent 547 athletes but this year it will only send 250 athletes.
He said 48 percent of the athletes to be sent to the event are between 18 and 22 years old while 33 percent others between 23-27 and the rest 19 percent above 27 years old and they would participate in 32 sport branches.
He said although the number was cut and they are mostly young Indonesia would not revise its target of medal collection which is set at 80 gold medals from 405 sports to be competed in the event.
"If Indonesia could win 80 gold medals it will finish third. In Singapore two years ago we only won 47 gold medals and finished fifth," he said.
To optimize the results from the young athletes all sports branches that would take part in the event have already made themselves ready and some have been able to produce potential athletes.
"The domination of young athletes shows that the development program in several sport branches have gone well," he said. (WDY)
Indonesia to Field Many Young Atheletes For Sea Games 2017
Pewarta : Reported by Bayu Kuncahyo 18 Januari 2017 08:18 WIB
