China Daily Global Edition (USA)
New ideas weigh heavy in lifting evolution
Inside a spartan weightlifting gym in Indonesia, teenagers chalk their hands, grit their teeth and thrust faded metal barbells above their heads, hopeful of Olympic glory.
Many of Indonesia’s sporting legends were bred in smalltown clubs, whipped into shape by old-school coaches and relentless training.
But as Indonesia strives to increase its gold-medal haul at the 2018 Asian Games and Tokyo 2020, there’s a push to modernize such sports.
The import of foreign expertise and a focus on nutrition and rehabilitation was credited with Indonesia’s weightlifters bagging two silver medals at the Rio Games.
“Indonesia has a lot of talent in weightlifting,” national team manager Alamsyah Wijaya said.
“It’s time for us to promote that to the world.”
But the sport still struggles to attract the funding and fan base enjoyed by badminton — Indonesia’smainmedalearner, and a source of national pride.
In weightlifting, hopes for gold in major championships are pinned on a crop of promising youngsters emerging from threadbare academies across the country.
The federation is trying to lure these budding stars to the capital Jakarta, where tailored exercise programs ensure they have their best shot at building strength, avoiding injury and winning medals.
It can be a challenge getting some young lifters to leave their beloved hometown clubs for the big smoke, Wijaya said.
Things are still done the oldfashioned way at weightlifting clubs acrossLampung, a forested province in Sumatra famed for developing top-class lifters.
Of the 10 Olympic weightlifting medals won by Indonesia, seven were claimed by athletes who either hailed from, or trained in, Lampung.
They didn’t use sport science, only power science. Weightlifting is changing, and we’re trying too but face many constraints.” manager
Alamsyah Wijaya,
Indonesia’s national weightlifting team
Many trained at the ‘elephant club’ in Pringsewu — arguably the most famous no-frills weightlifting clinic in the entire country.
For nearly 50 years Imron Rosadi — an octogenarian former world champion with an eagle eye for talent — has slowly expanded the modest gym at the back of his family home into a weightlifting club with a fearsome reputation.
Much of the equipment is decades old: bench pressesand metal weights chipped of all paint, and wooden lifting platforms splintered from thousands of dropped barbells.
Most of the 30 boys and girls at the academy are from poor neighborhoodswhosee weightlifting as a path to wealth.
Wijaya — who also trained in his youth at Rosadi’s clinic— is concerned these hopes and dreamscouldamountto zero if provincial clubs don’t adopt a more scientific approach.
Most local clubs are set in their ways and don’t care for rest days or nutrition, he said, resulting in high injury rates.
“They didn’t use sport science, only power science,” Wijaya said. “Weightlifting is changing, and we’re trying too but face many constraints.”