M

embers of the Indonesian karate squad are expressing confidence for the Asian Games after a one-month training camp in Japan, prior to the upcoming Indonesian Open in Bali that will be their final tournament before the Games.

“The training in Tokyo really boosted my confidence ahead of the Games because I learned much about how to improve my techniques. After all, Japan is the spiritual heartland of this martial art,” karateka Dewi Yulianti said Tuesday.

“It was impressive training under the watch of Tsuguo Sakumoto [Arawaza], the creator of the Ryuei-Ryu kata,” said Dewi, who specializes in the women’s individual kata, an art form event in karate.

Dewi is part of the country’s eight-member squad headed for the Nov. 12-27 Guangzhou Asiad. Indonesia hopes to repeat its single gold glory in Busan, South Korea, in 2002, when Hasan Basri won the men’s 65 kilogram class kumite.

The current squad includes four female karatekas — Dewi, Martinel Prihastuti (50 kilogram class), Tantri Widyasari (61 kilogram), Yolanda Asmuruf (68 kilogram) and four male karatekas — Donny Darmawan (60 kilogram), Jintar Simajuntak (67 kilogram), Umar Syarief (over 84 kilograms) and Faisal Zainudin in the men’s individual kata.

“The upcoming Games will be my first. It would be a dream getting to the finals,” 29-year-old Dewi, who won bronze in the women’s team kata at last year’s South East Asian Games in Laos, said.

If Dewi makes it to the finals, it would be Indonesia’s highest achievement in the kata event. Four years ago, Indonesia won three bronze medals in the kumite (fight), with Umar in men’s over-80 kilogram class, Jenny Zeannet in women’s 53 kilograms and Mardiah Nasution in women’s over-60 kilogram.

“It was such an advantage for us to train with the Japanese national team, who are also world karate champions,” karate team manager Djafar Djantang said of the month-long regime, which took place at the Japan Karate Federation and Teikyo University in Tokyo.

“We came away from the camp with expectations of improving our attack techniques, physical endurance and tactical strategy,” he added.

In Sept. 24-26, the national squad will have their final tryouts at the Indonesian Open in Bali, which will also be attended by squads from South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Iran, all top contenders for the Games.