"We must not be satisfied holding third rank. We must go as high as possible."Bekasi, West Java (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on karate athletes to improve their performances nationally and internationally.
"I have asked our karatekas to increase their performances, " the head of state said in his speech when inaugurating OSO Sport Center concurrently Dojo Kushin Ryu M Karate-do Indonesia (KKI) at Grand Wisata complex here Friday.
The training of karatekas is crucial to raise the quality of their performances, he said, and also suggesting to increase the number of karate sport centers.
He hoped that in the upcoming SEA (South East Asia) Games to be held in Indonesia, Indonesia would be able to gain more gold medals from this sports.
"We must not be satisfied holding third rank. We must go as high as possible," he said.
The head of state was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono when inaugurating the new sports center, coinciding with holding the OSO Cup 2011 karate championship in the new sports center.
The 2,800-m2 OSO Sport Center, which is also the Dojo Kushin Ryu M Karate-do Indonesia (KKI), had been built on one hectare of land.
The sports facility which includes a hall for karate class and an athlete`s hostel, had been built at a cost of Rp26 billion.
Attending the inaugural ceremony included Sports and Youth Minister Andi Mallarangeng, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono, Chairman of the Karate-Do Indonesia Sports Federation Hendardji Soepandji, Deputy Police Chief Commissioner General Nanan Soekarna, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Said Aqil Siradj, Chairman of Golkar Party Aburizal Bakrie, and several politicians like Lily Wahid and Hadjrianto Y Thohari.
The OSO Cup 2011 karate championship is being held from March 25 to 27, 2011.
Some 750 karatekas from 33 provinces are taking part in the championship, which is also a selection for participants in the next Indonesia Open 2011 which will be held in June 2011.
(Uu. F008/H-NG)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
