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BMX hands RI another ticket to Rio Games
Toni Syarifudin - Courtesy of ISSIIndonesia has just pocketed another ticket to 2016’s Olympic Games in Rio, thanks to superb performances by its BMX cycling athletes
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Toni Syarifudin - Courtesy of ISSI
Indonesia has just pocketed another ticket to 2016’s Olympic Games in Rio, thanks to superb performances by its BMX cycling athletes.
The Indonesian Cycling Federation (ISSI) said Tuesday that the Olympic spot was confirmed, referring to a recent announcement made by Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s cycling body.
“We’ve secured a spot for BMX at the summer Olympics,” ISSI chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari said in a statement.
Toni Syarifudin of Central Java and Rio Akbar of West Java were BMX athletes who had represented Indonesia in an Olympics qualification event.
Nevertheless, the ISSI had decided to submit Toni for the Olympics, which will run in August.
As coach Dadang Haries Poernomo said, “Toni has collected better points as compared to Rio. Therefore, the federation decided to send Toni.”
According to Olympics regulations, athletes are qualified for the event based on their country’s ranks, their individual ranks earned in their host countries and their world championship ranks.
To boost Rio’s performance, Dadang advised Satlak Prima, the country’s elite athlete program, to participate in a tryout program overseas, which provides Rio with a super cross circuit. Indonesia does not own such a circuit.
“Taking Rio for an overseas tryout is essential because we don’t have the super cross circuit here,” said Dadang.
In response, Raja Sapta, nicknamed Okto, nodded about the overseas tryout suggestion, saying Australia and Colombia were the best places for the plan.
“We’re either sending Toni to Australia or Colombia for a tryout, in expectation that he will increase his skill for the Olympics round,” he added.
Having Toni in the Indonesian squad, the country so far has a list of 24 names for the Rio Games.
Alongside Toni, Indonesia will also send 10 athletes for badminton, seven for weightlifting, two for archery and one for track and field.
