FOUR COUNTRIES TAKING PART IN 2ND WOODBALL INDONESIA OPEN

Boyolali, C Java, June 28 (ANTARA) - Some 115 woodball players from four countries are taking part in the 2nd Woodball Indonesia Open being held in Tlatar, Boyolali, Central Java.
"This event will be a tryout for our athletes to take part in the Asian Woodgames to be held in Bali next October which will be participated in by 45 countries," president of the Indonesian Woodball Association Tandyono Jacky said in the Etasia Internasional Woodball Course of Tlatar, Boyolali, on Saturday.
The Indonesia Open takes place until July 1.
Four nations taking part in the event are Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia, he added.
He said Malaysia sent 28 players, Taiwan 12 players, Singapore eight players and Indonesia sent 67 woodball players.
He said Indonesia set the target that the team would be in the third biggest position for men's group and set no target for the women's group.
He also expressed hope that the sport would be included in the upcoming National Sports Week (PON) in 2012.
So far, he added, 13 provinces had registered to take part in the event.
Chairperson of the event's organizing committee Nugroho said among the participants were best woodball players in Asia, including Abdullah Ahmad of Malaysia, the defending champion in the first Woodball Indonesia Open.
Woodball was invented in 1990 by Mr. Ming-Hui Weng and Mr. Kuang-Chu Young. It became popular in 1995.