Indonesia has targeted at least two gold medals from the tae kwon do
competition at the 15th Asian Games, which start this week in Doha.
Of the six fighters currently training in South Korea for the Games,
welterweight Basuki Nugroho in the men's division and flyweight Juana Wangsa
Putri in the women's have been tipped as favorites to win gold for Indonesia,
given their experience and consistency, English daily The Jakarta Post reported
Tuesday.
Indonesian Tae Kwon Do Association (TI) said the association was confident
Basuki and Juana could win, given their gold-winning performances at last year's
Southeast Asian Games.
"Basuki is our most consistent athlete, winning gold medals at the Islamic
Solidarity Games in Mecca in April 2005 and at the 2005 SEA Games in the
Philippines, and bringing home a bronze from the Korea Open last August,"
Indonesian Tae Kwon Do Association secretary-general Tubagus Ade Lukman was
quoted as saying.
"Similarly, Juana, who is a former world champion, is a very experienced
fighter and she also won gold at the 2005 SEA Games," Ade said.
A special physical trainer is helping Juana improve her physical condition
and stamina, as the 29-year-old fighter prepares for a gold-medal run at her
last Asiad.
The tae kwon do competition in Doha will run from Dec. 7-12.