Australian Sport Initiatives Provide Boost to Indonesian Coaches

Today the Indonesian Olympic Committee was presented with the 2010 Allan Taylor Sports Award at the ‘Sports Nutrition and Physiotherapy’ seminar held at the Australian Embassy. The A$10,000 grant will further enhance sport development and cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.

Vice President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, Mr Indra Kartasasmita, received the award and said the funding would allow Australian and Indonesian sports coaches to collaborate on physical conditioning training methods for athletes.

The seminar, held in cooperation with the Indonesian Olympic Committee, featured information sessions with internationally renowned experts from Australia, Mr Michael Wood (Sports Physiotherapist) and Ms Bethanie Allanson (Sports Nutritionist) and was attended by coaches from a wide range of Indonesian sports federations. Both presenters have worked with Olympic and other elite athletes across a number of sports including track and field, rowing, cycling, basketball, hockey and football.

Michael Bliss, Minister-Counsellor of the Australian Embassy said, “The Allan Taylor Sports Award and today’s sports seminar are both great examples of recent sporting cooperation initiatives between Australia and Indonesia. The Allan Taylor Sports Award provides an annual opportunity for organisations to apply for funding from the Australia-Indonesia Institute for further development of sports in Indonesia.”

“Close cooperation and exchanges through sport are important ways to build bridges and develop stronger people-to-people links. The links that we are able to create are a great enduring strength of the bilateral relationship,” Mr Bliss added.

The Allan Taylor Sports Award is sponsored through the Australia-Indonesia institute. It commemorates the enormous contribution made by the late Mr Allan Taylor AM (former Australian Ambassador to Indonesia and Chair of the Australia-Indonesia Institute) to the bilateral relationship. Mr Taylor was a keen sportsperson so the award aims to foster cooperation between Australia and Indonesia in the sporting sector and recognise significant contributions to the development of sport in Indonesia. More details on the award are available at http://www.dfat.gov.au/aii.

Established in 1989 by the Australian Government to promote bilateral people-to-people links, the Australia-Indonesia Institute also supports a large number of projects in education the arts, music, youth, civil society, inter-faith, Australian Studies and media.

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Jenny Dee, Counsellor (Public Affairs) tel. (021) 2550 5290 mob. 0811 187 3175