In the Dusty Land, Zohri Was “Born”

West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is the birthplace of talented runners. They achieve glory amid limitations, especially in the lack of proper athletics facilities. NTB has a long history of athletics. It all began with long-distance runner Ismail Abidin, who is now 88.

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Two athletes of the West Nusa Tenggara Student Education and Training Center (PPLP NTB) train on Saturday (18/5/2019) at a dilapidated training facility in the provincial capital Mataram. The province produces many athletics athletes, despite the poor condition of its training centers.

West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) is the birthplace of talented runners. They achieve glory amid limitations, especially in the lack of proper athletics facilities.

“On this red and dusty soil, Lalu Muhammad Zohri trained. This place is dusty in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season, making it difficult for us to train. If the conditions were better, new Zohris may have been born every year,” NTB students education and training center’s (PPLP) sprint trainer Made Budiasa said on the sidelines of a training session at the PPLP in Mataram. Made was a former national sprinter.

NTB has a long history of athletics. It all began with long-distance runner Ismail Abidin, who is now 88. The Bima-based athlete reigned in the national 5K and 10K running championships in 1953. He was chosen to represent Indonesia in several multisport events, including the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games, the 1963 Ganefo and the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games.

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An athlete of the West Nusa Tenggara Student Education and Training Center (PPLP NTB) rests on Saturday (18/5/2019) after training on a worn-out track in the provincial capital Mataram. The track has deteriorated into red earth that fills the air with thick dust during the dry season and turns into mud during the rainy season.

“He was in the first generation of Indonesian athletes, together with Mohammad Sarengat and Gurnam Singh. He was at the start of NTB’s athletics history,” said Ismail’s son-in-law Muhdar, a long-distance running trainer in NTB.

Since then, more athletes have emerged from NTB. After Ismail, there was long-distance runner Muhammad Thayib in the 1970s, long-distance runner Ahmad Said in the 1980s, high jumper Arya Yuniawan Purwoko in the 1990s, sprinter Made Budiasa in the early 2000s and Zohri and long jumper Sapwaturrahman today.

However, in contrast to its athletes’ extraordinary achievements, NTB’s athletics facilities are lacking. Currently, only two permanent athletics training spaces are available – both in NTB capital Mataram: namely Turide Stadium and the PPLP NTB athletics field. No permanent training spaces are available in other cities and regencies in the province.

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

The track is cracked and uneven at Turide Stadium in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), as seen on Friday (17/5/2019). The province is a major producer of athletics athletes in Indonesia, despite the substandard training facilities at athletics centers like Turide Stadium, which was built in 2007. The damaged track poses a danger to athletes.

The Turide Stadium, established in 2007, is in a terrible state. The rubber track has peeled off because of continuous excessive heat. Consequently, there are many bumps on the track, which can trip runners using it.

The PPLP NTB field is no better. It has never been renovated since it was built in 1997. Consequently, the track made of broken bricks looks like a pedestrian pathway of red-colored soil. Even worse are the rocks and overgrowth on several spots on the track. Runners who fall down would surely be injured. “However, this is the best training ground for running in NTB right now,” Made said.

In remote areas outside Mataram, NTB’s future athletes are molded by nature. This is evident in Zohri’s home town in the North Lombok regency. On the foothills of Mount Rinjani, potential athletes train on hills and beaches because of the lack of other training facilities. This is despite the harsh environment and temperatures that can reach 35 degrees Celsius on the beach. On the mountain, the road goes uphill and downhill in quite extreme ways. Athletes are required to undergo harsh training in a natural environment.

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An athlete at the West Nusa Tenggara Student Education and Training Center (PPLP NTB) practices muscle-strengthening exercises on Friday (17/5/2019) at an old and worn training facility in the provincial capital Mataram.

According to Rosida, the North Lombok running coach who found Zohri at the SMPN 1 Pemenang state middle school, athletes under 18 years old must not undergo harsh training. If forced, this can have negative effects on their physical development and they can be easily injured in their golden years. “We have no other choice. We cannot train if we don’t do this,” she said.

Nevertheless, despite the limitations, the NTB athletes refuse to give up. They pin their hopes on athletics. After Zohri achieved success, many young athletes dreamt of having a better future through athletics. “We also want to train in good places. The soil track is hard while rubber ones are soft. When we compete on rubber tracks, we have to adjust,” said Lalu Agus Supianto, 16, a 100-meter runner at the PPLP NTB.

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A group of athletes rest on an overgrown field after practice on Saturday (18/5/2019) at the West Nusa Tenggara Student Education and Training Center (PPLP NTB) in the provincial capital Mataram. The province is a major producer of athletics athletes, although the athletes train in less than optimal conditions, enduring thick, red dust during the dry season and muddy tracks during the rainy season.

Limited funding

NTB youth and sports agency chief Husnanidiaty Nurdin said that there was limited funding to improve the province’s training facilities. At least Rp 14 billion (US$983,493) is required to repair the Turide Stadium’s running track and another Rp 200 billion to renovate the PPLP NTB dorm and field.

A funding proposal has been filed with the NTB administration but there has been no response. The agency has also submitted a blueprint for repairing PPLP NTB, scheduled for completion in 2020. “We hope the central government will also respond. We have contributed so many athletes to the country and we hope that more attention will be paid to local facilities,” he said.

Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) head sprint coach Eni Nuraini said that four factors contribute to proper athletics development, namely government attention, proper development, athletes’ potential and proper facilities. Athletics in NTB has three of the factors, namely government attention, development and resources. “They need proper facilities. Field sports such as long jump, high jump and shot put depend highly on proper facilities,” she said.

(RUL/ZAK)