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Djoko Pramono a staunch sporting supporter
When confronted with the notion that the dragon boat races weren't very competitive, Djoko Pramono said,"Who said so?" Djoko, a retired Navy general, is not new to the task of preparing Indonesian athletes for international events like the first Asian Beach Games in Bali, a biennial event aimed at promoting beach sports and tourism
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When confronted with the notion that the dragon boat races weren't very competitive, Djoko Pramono said,"Who said so?"
Djoko, a retired Navy general, is not new to the task of preparing Indonesian athletes for international events like the first Asian Beach Games in Bali, a biennial event aimed at promoting beach sports and tourism. He held a similar job for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 1997, 2003 and 2006.
Djoko was understandably hopeful the training regime he prepared and supervised paid off, and that he would debate any criticism that the victories, in some sports,were at the hands of less-competitive opponents.
In the dragon boat event at the Games, Indonesia's paddlers won four of the six gold medals on offer in the dragon boat event at the Games.
Some teams like Thailand, however, only came with squads made up of college students. Myanmar, which grabbed the two other gold medals, said it only brought five veterans, who helped their team win gold at the 2007 SEA Games, to the Games among its 22 paddlers.
"In certain sports, they may come to the Games with young athletes combined with their seniors, but it does not mean that the athletes are second or third-rate or whatever. This is an Asian tournament and all participating countries are coming to win," he said in a phone interview with The Jakarta Post.
He said the host's athletes had worked hard for their achievements.
"They deserve appreciation."
The host collected 23 gold medals to be crowned overall champions, an achievement usually elusive for Indonesia at the prestigious Asian Games.
Indonesia returned home with only two gold medals from the recent Asian Games in Doha, where China dominated the medal hunt. In Bali, the Chinese beach team bagged only six golds.
"As an event entering its first edition, the Asian Beach Games is a success. Compare it with the first Indoor Asian Games. Their first event (in Bangkok in 2005) only featured six countries. Here, 43 countries are participating with 1,600 athletes," Djoko said.
Djoko, 66, might be the busiest among the Bali Asian Beach Games Organizing Committee (BABGOC) members with him having to shuttle from one venue to another to offer support to his athletes.
"Athletes are prone to emotion," he said."We have to handle them with affection."
Comparing training for the Games to the military, Djoko said,"Both require dedication, hard work and discipline. In certain areas, they are different from each other. In the military, you have a hierarchy ... It does not mean that we have no affection in the military, but it's not as high as it is in the athletic world."
He may have adhered to this hierarchy when he decided to withdraw from his nomination for Indonesian Sports Council chairman in 1999; he would have been up against his senior.
Djoko, former commander of the Marine Corps, cannot be dispensed from the sporting world. He has experience in top positions of several sporting federations, including volleyball, swimming, weightlifting, sailing, water skiing and automotive federations.
He said he was proud of Indonesia's success at the Games.
"The euphoria at the Beach Games is high, but we should not get carried away. The Games are a biennial event. If we don't start training early, we may not be able to retain our position as overall champions,"he said.
"We have to answer the questions: What is next after this? Can we maintain our performance at this big event?
"I hope the sport federations start preparing and strategizing how to continue their athlete's development.We have to be alert as early as possible."
But Djoko, who has written two books on maritime tourism, said he deplored the tourism sector for failing to capitalize on the success of the Games.
"The tourism sector has not fully snapped up the opportunity during the Games. They did not pick up the ball. The tou rism office should work more on promotion. This event is a mix of sports, tourism and culture."
