The Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Association (PABBSI) is taking the initiative to find other sponsors to keep their youth and junior development program running despite limited government supports.
“We cannot be complacent with our current elite athletes. Yes, they’re great athletes and probably will still be in shape for the 2012 Olympics but we need to prepare for beyond that period, for the 2016 Olympics,” PABBSI secretary-general Alamsyah Wijaya told The Jakarta Post over the weekend of the reason behind the decision.
Indonesian weightlifting has boasted international achievements over the years, including five gold medals each of the two previous SEA Games in Laos and Thailand, as well as bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Yet PABBSI remains one of the country’s sports associations struggling to preserve their youth and junior development program because of minimum financial support from the government.
This year, PABBSI managed to get approval for US$47,000 in funds from Olympic Solidarity for the grooming of 10 youth weightlifters in the nine months prior to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
“It is our first time to get funding specially designed for early-age development,” Alamsyah said, adding that PABBSI intended to maintain building up international achievements in the coming years toward the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, so they could continue to receive funding.
PABBSI has recently proposed a Rp 4.9 billion (US$532,608) budget to the government for the development of junior and youth weightlifting athletes, but is still awaiting approval. Given past records, however, hopes are slim.
“We submitted a similar proposal following the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand. It was never approved,” PABBSI deputy Sjafriadi Tjut said.
“The fund [for the 2007 SEA Games] was to cover the cost of grooming 30 junior and youth athletes under the age of 20. We once had a training center 15 years ago,” said Sjafriadi.
“However, we won’t stop our efforts there. We are now trying to get private sponsorship although we realize that weightlifting is not yet an attractive sports for corporations,” Alamsyah said.
Apart from from the financial issue, Alamsyah also highlighted the urgency for a solid system of early-age athlete development in the country, through the revitalization of the PPLP, or Student Training and Education Centers.
PABBSI is upbeat about Youth and Sports Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng’s plan to revitalize the PPLP as it could provide a firm foundation for the country’s largely neglected youth development program.
According to Youth and Sports Ministry official Tunas Dwidharto, there were 1,418 young athletes registered in PPLP centers throughout the country’s 33 provinces. The centers were established by the government in the 1970s.
“PPLP centers will function properly only when they collaborate with sports associations in terms of scouting potential athletes and monitoring their development,” Alamsyah said.
Over the years, private weightlifting clubs in Lampung, Bekasi and the PPLP center in Jakarta have been the main contributors in discovering and grooming young talented lifters.
The Gajah Lampung weightlifting club in Lampung is grooming 60 young lifters, the Patriot club in Bekasi has up to 40 lifters, while 20 youth lifters are registered at the PPLP in Jakarta.
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