Pencak silat originated in Indonesia, but that fact did little for the country during the 2009 Southeast Asian Games.
Of the 17 gold medals up for grabs in the martial art in Vientiane, Laos, Indonesian competitors managed just two. Vietnam won the most pencak silat golds with six, followed by Malaysia with four.
Indonesia’s slide from the pinnacle of pencak silat can be traced to the progress of the sport in other Southeast Asian countries. That development, in turn, is partly due to Indonesian coaches going abroad to encourage the martial art’s growth.
In order to make the sport better known around the world, the World Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat) asked the Indonesian federation to send its coaches around the globe beginning in the 1980s.
“The sport has been gaining more popularity in Vietnam,” former Vietnam pencak silat coach Suhartono recalled in an interview in Laos. “When I left the country in 2005, there were almost 70,000 people training in pencak silat.”
The work by Suhartono, an Indonesian, was one part of Vietnam’s gold rush during the SEA Games.
He trained Vietnamese athletes from 1995-2005. Asked to introduce pencak silat to Vietnam just before the 1995 SEA Games, his assistance made an immediate impact as he helped the country to three gold medals that year.
Under Suhartono’s guidance, Vietnam won seven golds at the 2001 Games in Malaysia. He left Vietnam to coach the Philippines in 2005 before going on to lead Thailand when it hosted the 2007 Games and Brunei Darussalam in 2009.
“I’m facing a bigger challenge in Brunei. It’s been hard to lure people to the sport there. Sport is only a leisure activity for most of them, so it’s hard to make them an athlete,” said Suhartono, who is contracted with the country until 2011.
Despite the challenges, he believes pencak silat will blossom in Brunei with the government’s full support.
Suriatno is another Indonesian coach enjoying success abroad. He took charge of the Laos team just four months prior to the 2009 Games and led it to one gold medal — its first SEA Games gold in pencak silat — two silvers and four bronzes.
It was his second spell in Laos after coaching it for eight months before the 2007 Games.
“Laos has some potential athletes, but there are obstacles I have to face in improving the athletes’ performances,” Surianto said.
One of the main problems, he continued, was the propensity of Lao people, not just athletes, to drink beer.
“Consuming alcoholic drinks will, of course, affect their performances,” he said. “But in the end, I persuaded them not to drink on training days and it worked.”
Pencak silat’s growth is evident in places other than Asia.
It has gained a foothold in Europe, thanks in part to the efforts of O’ong Maryono. The 54-year-old coach had been developing the sport in Europe since 1989, when he worked with the Sports and Recreation Development Division of the Amsterdam City Government to introduce pencak silat to the Dutch and received a warm welcome.
He later moved to Italy and Croatia before returning to Asia to train in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
“I found Europeans more interested in pencak silat for its four basic philosophies that makes the sport different from other martial arts,” he said.
“They are interested not only in the martial art, but also the spiritual aspect. The silaturrahim [meeting to strengthen the bond among members] culture in pencak silat really attracts them. That’s why in Europe, the league runs very well. Besides, the sport’s development is also financially supported.”
For his efforts, O’ong received a scholarship from the Ford Foundation to foster the pencak silat culture. He returned to Indonesia in 1993 to begin work on one of his life-long projects, which was released in the form of a book entitled “Pencak Silat Merentang Waktu” (Pencak Silat Across Time) in 1998.
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com, Dec 25, 2009)
28/09/10
ndonesian Coaches Raise Pencak Silat’s Profile
05/09/10
Indonesian Weightlifter Dewi Safitri Puts in Work as Career Takes Flight
Traveling around the world is one of the perks of being a national athlete of Dewi Safitri’s caliber. As a 17-year-old, the junior weightlifter has taken her talents to countries other Indonesian kids of her age can only dream of visiting.
“Singapore is the fourth country I’ve ever been to,” Dewi said on Friday, upon arriving from the recently concluded Youth Olympic Games held in the city-state.
“I enjoy traveling,” she added, “and to be honest, I’m always happy to see my passport being stamped in different countries. It’s really cool.”
The life of a jet-setting national athlete, whose expenses in overseas competitions are all paid for by the government , is certainly enticing for any teenager. But that’s not to say trips like these are merely about seeing the sights or shopping.
For Dewi, traveling abroad means accomplishing a task first and foremost — to compete and win. And as far as getting the job done, Dewi rarely disappoints.
Participating for the first time in an international tournament, Dewi placed seventh in the girls’ 53-kilogram category at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Thailand in 2008.
In December 2009, she flew to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Asian Junior Under-17 Championships, where she emerged the winner.
In April, Dewi was fielded in the Asian Youth Weightlifting Championships in Uzbekistan, the qualifying tournament for the Youth Olympics. Again she lived up to expectations, finishing third in her favorite event and locking a spot in the Singapore Games.
Dewi’s impressive run of form continued in the Youth Olympics this month as she came away with the most important result of her career — a bronze medal at these Games that prevented a medal shutout for Indonesia.
The opportunity to see the world is something Dewi doesn’t want to waste, and she knows she can only keep that dream alive if she keeps performing well.
“I know that I have to be at the top of my game all the time so that the people supporting me will continue to trust me to send me abroad and represent the country in tournaments,” Dewi said.
Without weightlifting, Dewi would not have been able to get out of her hometown in Bekasi, much less fly out of the country.
Dewi’s father earns a living driving an ojek (motorcycle taxi), while her mother, a housewife, spends more time with Dewi and her nine siblings at home.
Dewi joined a national weightlifting training camp in Bekasi in 2003, because she wanted to help her family’s financial situation.
“By being a national athlete, I know I could do my part in fulfilling my family’s needs,” Dewi said. “But to me, it’s become more than that. As a weightlifter, I get to realize my dreams too.”
Ade Lukman, head of the athletics commission at the Indonesia Olympic Committee (KOI), said the committee was preparing Dewi and the other Indonesian Youth Olympians for bigger tournaments, with the ultimate target being the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A stint in Brazil has Dewi excited no doubt, and she knows what needs to be done to get another stamp in her passport.
“It all boils down to hard work,” she said. “Everything else will just take care of itself.”
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on Aug. 30, 2010. Photo: JG)
Indonesia to Host Uruguay, Ivory Coast Friendlies
By: Wimbo Satwiko
The search for quality opponents for the national football team has turned up friendly matches against Uruguay and Ivory Coast, two countries that featured in the World Cup finals in South Africa, officials have said.
The National Team Body (BTN) said on Friday that Indonesia has been scheduled to host World Cup semifinalist Uruguay on Oct. 9 and former African champion Ivory Coast on Oct. 13.
BTN previously said it was trying to arrange matches against South American giants Brazil and Argentina.
Argentina has now been ruled out after it closed its tour schedule without Indonesia on its calendar, but BTN is still hoping to confirm five-time world champ Brazil. BTN has submitted a proposal to the Brazilian Football Confederation for a Nov. 9 friendly.
BTN head Iman Arif said Ivory Coast would likely bring some of its Premier League stars when it came to Indonesia. “Didier Drogba may not join the team, but the Ivory Coast federation has confirmed it will send its best players like [Chelsea’s] Salomon Kalou and [Manchester City’s] Yaya and Kolo Toure,” Iman said.
The cost of bringing the foreign teams to the country to play the friendlies is expected to be shouldered by a consortium of private companies.
To get Brazil, BTN, through a match organizer, will have to come up with $1.5 million in fees. The price for hosting Uruguay and Ivory Coast will be much lower, but financial details were not discussed by Iman.
Indonesia has had few matches against quality opposition in recent years, which some say is why the Merah Putih has struggled in international play.
While Indonesia has settled for friendlies against two second-tier domestic clubs this month, its Southeast Asian neighbors have already confirmed tune-ups against international sides.
Singapore is coming off a two-week training in Serbia, where it faced several domestic clubs. Vietnam is slated to meet North Korea for a friendly on Sept. 24.
As expected, Indonesia easily won its two matches against the Premier Division sides, routing Persita Tang erang 4-1 on Thursday and Pro Titan 3-0 on Sunday.
Arif Suyono, Bambang Pamungkas and M Isnani each scored on Sunday, with national team coach Alfred Riedl heading into the Idul Fitri break with the belief his team “played much better than last Thursday.”
Football officials have been scrambling to secure fixtures for the national team. BTN said it was also in talks for matches against China on Nov. 21 and East Timor on Nov. 24.
The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said it received an invitation from Kuwait for a friendly on Oct. 17, but its secretary general Nugraha Besoes said it would likely decline the offer.
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com, Sept. 6, 2010)
Taufik Loses Out to Chen at Paris Badminton Worlds
Taufik Hidayat left another world championships without a title, and it was a familiar foe who got in his way again.
Indonesia’s top men’s singles shuttler had no answers for emerging Chinese star Chen Jin, losing 21-13, 21-15 in the final in Paris on Sunday.
Throughout the match at Pierre de Coubertin Stadium, Chen showed better movement and discipline than Taufik, and picked his moments to ram home vicious smashes.
Chen also denied Taufik many chances to win points at the net, traditionally one of the Indonesian’s strengths.
Chen also ousted Taufik from last year’s world championships in Hyderabad, India, romping past the Indonesian in two easy sets in the semifinals.
“Chen is better. Now I will go home and start preparing for the Asian Games,” Taufik said after the Paris final.
Taufik won the world championship in 2005 but is still searching for a second title. Paris was the closest he has come to ending the drought.
Despite the comprehensive loss, Taufik played down Sunday’s defeat and said that overall, he was happy with the tournament.
“I didn’t have any pressure. … If I lost I was happy, and if I won I was happy,” Taufik said.
“The world championships were not my target before coming here. I’m preparing for the Asian Games, which only happen every four years.”
For the second straight world championships, Indonesia failed to bring home a title, the first time the country has come home empty-handed at consecutive worlds since a spell of five fruitless campaigns between 1983 and 1991.
Besides Taufik, Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan were the only Indonesians to even make it to the semifinals.
However, the men’s doubles pair lost 21-16, 21-13 to Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China in the semifinals on Saturday.
Additional reporting by AFP
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on Aug. 29, 2010)
27/08/10
Boxer Chris John Itching to Get Back in the Game
By : Dominic Menor
Indonesian boxer Chris John stepped out of the interview room in a black shirt and jeans, and almost immediately attracted a small crowd of fans.
People tried to shake his hand, take a photo or catch a glimpse of the world champion.
Chris may have been out of the ring for a while, but his fans certainly haven’t lost touch.
Though most Indonesians are obsessed with football and badminton, Chris John has managed to draw interest in boxing.
Based on a report by television station RCTI, a copy of which was given to the marketing firm handling the boxer’s publicity, Chris’s matches ranked No. 1 in ratings on the day of the broadcasts.
According to statistics compiled by The Jakarta Globe, articles about Chris have received the most online hits this year among local sports stories.
As the face of Indonesian boxing, a sport that has sought to attract a larger following, Chris has definitely gained cult status.
But with limited action inside the ring, the boxer’s mass appeal could wear off.
While Chris is still trying to arrange his first fight for this year, all the big names in the featherweight division — which is currently considered the most exciting weight class in boxing — have already secured marquee bouts in the coming months.
World Boxing Association featherweight titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba will square off with International Boxing Federation titleholder Orlando Salido of Mexico for a unification bout on Sept. 11, the same day that Mexican boxer Daniel Ponce de Leon, the WBA’s No. 1 contender for the title, is set to see action.
Puerto Rico’s Juanma Lopez, considered the next big thing in the lower weight classes, is tentatively scheduled to defend his World Boxing Organization title next month.
In January, Chris told the Globe he was eager to take on other marquee featherweights.
To underscore Chris’s odd situation, the top 10 boxers on the WBA’s featherweight list, including Indonesia’s Daud Cino Yordan, who is ranked No. 7, have fought at least once this year.
“One thing I’ve learned since I started boxing is that it takes a lot of effort to get the fights you want,” Chris said on Thursday.
Chris’s failure to land a fight, however, is due mostly to circumstances beyond his control.
His debut on US soil last year, — a turning point for any foreign-born boxer who wants to hit pay dirt — consisted of two fights with Rocky Juarez. The first bout ended in a draw, before Chris won in the second.
Some had hoped it was the beginning of Chris’s regular appearance in US boxing matches.
However, things did not turn out as hoped when Chris decided to hold his next fight in his home country. Though the American dream was within Chris’s grasp, his handlers found themselves considering a fight in Bali that was supposed to have been held in February.
But finding an opponent who was willing to fly east and take on the world champion proved a tough task, and plans for the fight fell through.
The Bali fight was rescheduled for May, but was shelved when Chris injured his arm during training. The match was reset for July but was called off again because of a rib injury Chris had sustained days before.
“Injuries are a common thing in boxing. Does that mean I’m weak? No, definitely not,” Chris said. “You can’t predict what is going to happen next. You just have to hope for the best.”
If things work out as planned, Chris will finally see action for the first time in more than a year, with a match against Argentinian boxer Fernando Saucedo set tentatively in November.
Chris’s situation is not unusual in the boxing world.
A number of fighters, including world champions, have gone more than a year without a bout for the same reasons — health issues, lack of interest from rival promoters or opponents backing off at the last minute.
With the flurry of activity in the 126-pound division, there is no reason why a boxer of Chris’s caliber wouldn’t be able to get a piece of the action.
Chris has faced big names like Juan Manuel Marquez, still the template for the smart and technically sound fighter.
“When I fought Marquez [in 2006], I thought he would be tough to beat because of his record, which was really good at the time,” Chris said.
“But after the bout, after battling him and feeling all his strength, his speed and just experiencing the kind of skill he brought inside the ring — that was when I realized I could fight with the best of them.”
There were times when Chris seemed to rely too much on his managers to set a match. There were also issues that he didn’t assert himself when it came to choosing an opponent.
However, Chris seems more decisive now.
Asked about the possibility of fighting Daud, he said: “We still want to figure out what the pros and the cons are if I face him. If the offer is good, then I have no problems with it. Let’s face it, the money issue is important.”
“But if that’s not the case, then I am sorry to say that I don’t see any reason why I should fight [Daud]. He’s just not on a world-class level,” he said.
Chris said he wouldn’t mind fighting twice or thrice a year.
“I could go for three fights a year, but I must prepare well,” he said. “It’s counterproductive to figure in three matches a year if you do not perform well.”
Though he has been sitting on the sidelines for some months now, Chris is as determined as ever to keep on boxing.
“I want to prove that I’m still capable of fighting, even though there a lot of people who doubt my ability at this stage,” he said.
There is no question that Chris needs to get back into the boxing ring again. Meanwhile, he can rest easy, knowing that his loyal supporters are still there, waiting patiently for his next match.
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on Aug. 20, 2010. Photo: www.boxeo-boxing.com)
23/08/10
Junior Indonesian Athletes Flop on Big Stage
Indonesia’s top sports officials are sounding the alarm following the poor performance of national athletes at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Ade Lukman Djajadi, the national team’s chef de mission to the Games, said the disappointing results were of little surprise and blamed the country’s “weak sports program.”
“We are paying the price for neglecting our junior athletes for so long,” Ade said on Saturday.
“Though we never said we would win many medals [in Singapore], the results have been far from acceptable,” he said.
Indonesia sent a modest squad of 14 athletes to compete in seven sports in Singapore, but the country’s only realistic chances of winning medals were in badminton and weightlifting.
However, the shuttlers didn’t live up to expectations, with Evert Sukamta and Renna Suwarno failing to make it to the medal rounds. Evert was ousted in the quarterfinals of the boys’ singles, and Renna failed to make it past the opening group stage in the girls’ singles.
Indonesian athletes competing in tennis, taekwondo and swimming, who had been granted wild cards by their international federations, didn’t make it out of the preliminary rounds.
On Friday, Arnoscy Pratama Siahaan fittingly wrapped up the Indonesian team’s campaign in the pool by finishing dead last out of seven athletes in the boys’ 200-meter butterfly heats.
Weightlifter Dewi Safitri was the only Indonesian to make it onto the podium, clinching the bronze medal in the women’s 53-kilogram division.
While heads were hanging in Indonesia, its neighbors were busy celebrating.
Thailand, traditionally not known for its badminton prowess, saw its shuttlers win the gold medals in both the boys’ and girls’ singles.
Vietnam, one of Indonesia’s main rivals in weightlifting, won gold in the men’s 56-kilogram category and took silver in the women’s 55kg class.
Singapore picked up two bronze medals in taekwondo, while Malaysia took home a silver in diving.
Ade said reforming the development system was “imperative.” “This must serve as a wake-up call to improve our sports programs, which, to be honest, are weak,” he said.
“We have to start that now as our neighbors in Southeast Asia have shown great improvement in many disciplines.”
Felix C Sutanto, the national swimming coach, agreed that there was an “urgent” need to overhaul the youth athletic development program.
“If we keep delaying it, the country will be left far behind,” he said.
One of the few bright spots on the country’s Youth Olympic team was Elga Kharisma Novanda.
The 17-year-old junior cyclist, the only Asian rider who competed in women’s BMX in Singapore, reached the final round, where she finished in seventh place.
In her second event, the women’s time trial on Sunday, Elga finished 11th in a field of 31 riders.
“[Elga] has proven that she has the potential to compete with the best,” said Zuchry Husein, deputy secretary general of the Indonesian Cycling Union (ISSI).
“She will be a star as long as we help her to maintain her performance, and that means supporting her by sending her to international competitions.”
Rita Subowo, president of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI), said she was concerned about the future of sports here unless immediate steps were taken. “This should serve as a warning for us, that our future could be in jeopardy if we fail to respond to the challenge.”
“Thailand and Vietnam are already reaping the fruits of all the efforts they’ve put into their junior athletic development programs. This is an encouraging result for them, and we don’t want to be left behind,” she said.
(This article was published on www.thejakartaglobe.com on Aug. 22, 2010)
22/08/10
Must Try : Best 10 Surfing Spots in Indonesia
Hawaii might be the birth place of surfing, but Indonesia is a paradise for surfers, both local and foreign. Hundreds of surfing spots lie from Sabang in Sumatra to Merauke in Papua, with Bali has the most spots of all. Here are best ten surfing spots that worth a try.
• Mentawai. The Mentawai Islands are the ultimate surf trip. Located some 130 km off the west coast of West Sumatra, the chain of islands offers some of the best surf spots to be found anywhere. With more than a dozen world class reef breaks make it one the most surf infested regions in the world. The South Indian Ocean produces the swells that have the islands pumping from March through to November at 6-12ft, makes it a super consistent area for surfing.
• Nias Island. An island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. While Nias Islands (Kepulauan Nias) is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako archipelago. It is an internationally famous surfing destination. The best known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam, on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. Some claim that the waves at the southern beach of Sorake are better than the ones in Maui.
• Cimaja. Located in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi, West Java. The point-break Cimaja hosts annual championships for junior, senior, open and women, as a part of the Indonesian Surfing Championships circuit.
• Grajagan. Known as G-Land is the most famous spot in East Java. A very long, world-class, barreling left hand reef/point break breaks along the east side of Grajagan Bay. It has long been considered one of the world's best left hand waves. It has one of the most consistently rideable waves in the world in season, with offshore winds and often plentiful swell between the months of, roughly, mid April to mid October.
• Kuta Beach. Bali's premier surfing beach, most surfed, most crowded spot, but is always fun and sometimes can get epic. Ultra fast (almost a closeout) but very safe sand bottom.
• Canggu. Located 20 minutes north of Seminyak along the coast in Bali. Canggu is a strip of black sand beach and reef breaks that is known for having something for everyone. It is more south facing than Kuta Beach and will usually be bigger. Canggu is often the spot when the swell is small, and many of Bali's surfers from Kuta will make the morning trip to Canggu. Because it faces further south, Canggu is also more affected by the trade winds and is best in the early mornings. After 9:00 a.m., Canggu is frequently sideshore and not the perfect glass of a few hours earlier.
• Padang Padang. Located in Pecatu Village, Bali. Two words: power and fear. It has the most dangerous and hollowest waves in Bali. Because of its fame, Padang Padang can be so crowded when it is working. With a large crowd it is not hard for tempers to flare up and arguments begin which are often caused by drop-ins. Best time to catch a wave at this break when conditions are right is early in the morning. A great wave and one that you will long remember.
• Desert Point. Still very isolated but for most Australian surfers named it as "Desert Point", located in South West cost of Lombok. Desert Point also known as Bangko bangko beach. A long walled and incredibly hollow left hander that on its day can break up to 300 meters, growing in size from takeoff to end. Best between 3 to 8 ft.
• Nemberala. Located in Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Nemberala is a postcard perfect white sand stretch of beach with tall palm trees ringing the perimeter. The lefthand reef break provides some of the longest wave rides in Indonesia, and on a small to medium swells can be excellent for surfers of all experience levels. And the swells get larger, above the 6-foot mark. The more experienced surfers can really break out their best maneuvers.
• Amban Beach. Located 7 km north of Manokwari, West Papua. Facing the Pacific Ocean, having a wave altitude of 2 meters most of the time. Amban Beach is a wide, lonely black sandy beach with good surf, regularly frequented by surfers.
(Source : http://www.shvoong.com/travel/destination/2035689-try-best-10-surfing-spots/. Photo: ISC)