Men’s 1,000-m runner Arif Rahman of West Nusa Tenggara, women’s 1,000-m runner Nurainun Perangin-angin of North Sumatra, men’s 110-m hurdler Hamdan Maasi of Gorontalo and women’s long jumper Fitria Wahyuni of East Java comprise the mini youth squad that will depart to Singapore’s May 22-23 qualifier for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in August.

“Only those in the top three in any event will qualify for the Youth Olympics. Our youths must perform their best,” Indonesian Track and Field Association (PASI) athlete development deputy chief Paulus Lay said Monday. The four Indonesian youths will meet tough opposition from Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan.

Meanwhile, several of their seniors projected for the Asian Games squad, will begin their first international tryouts at the Asian Grand Prix (GP) in India on June 1-9.      

“Since this event is an invitational competition, only the best athletes will likely attend. So, it will be our chance to measure the progress of our athletes as they began preparations in February, and to monitor other country’s athletes,” men’s sprint and relay race coach Eni Nuraini Martodihardjo said Monday.

PASI planned to send 14 athletes to the Asian GP, including Suryo Agung Wibowo in the men’s 100-m dash and 4x100-m relay, along with his relay teammates Fadlin, Fernando Lumain, Achmad Ali Wardhana, and Lourenzo Astra.

Only Suryo and Fadlin will definitely be in the Asian Games men’s squad, while Achmad and Lourenzo, who were newly scouted from the East Java Open national championship, will serve as substitute options for relay runners Rizky Latief and Fernando who are still recovering from injuries.    

Suryo currently ranks No. 3 in Asia, trailing two Japanese sprinters.

“I expect him to improve his record to 10.09 seconds at the upcoming Asian Games in China,” Eni said.

Sprinter Samuel Francis of Qatar has since 2007 held the Asian Continental and Asian Championship records of 9.99 seconds in the men’s 100-m dash, while sprinter Koji Ito of Japan has since 1998 held the 10-second record he set at the Asian Games.

“It will be important to fuel his confidence through an uninterrupted preparation schedule, with at least three tryouts prior to the November Asiad,” said Eni, who hoped Suryo and the rest of the track-and-field squad would be sent for one month of intensive training and tryouts in Germany, immediately after the Asian GP. Eni is eyeing for the Open Oceania Championships in Cairns, Australia, in September, as the tryout finale before her protege’s race in the Nov. 12-27 quadrennial games.      

In the women’s sector, 100-m hurdlers Dedeh Erawati (who was also a gold medalist in Laos) and bronze medalist Agustina Bawele will also perform in the 4x100-m relay with Angreina Rorong, Mira Mewengkang, Serafi Unani, Tri Setyo Utami and Irene Joseph. Women’s discus thrower Dwi Ratnawati and pole vault athlete Maria Londa are also listed among the participants in the Asian GP.

Nonetheless, PASI athlete development chief Budi Dharma Sidi previously said Dwi Ratnawati may be scrapped from the Indian event list after her poor performance at the East Java Open where she only made a 42-m throw. Dwi was one of Indonesia’s seven gold medalists in the track and field at the SEA Games in Laos last year, when she made a 50.63-m throw.  

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