After winning both the Tudor and the Singapore Open competitions held in Singapore in 1996, Oka then participated in the Qualifying Rounds for the Atlanta Olympics. At the Spa Regatta in Holland he placed 9th, and was 11th at the IMCO World Titles in France. With those results his qualification for the 1996 Olympics was sure.

Unforunately, The Indonesia Olympic Association didn’t inform Oka that they had chosen him for the Olympic National Team until only two weeks before Atlanta, which did not leave time enough for either proper preparation nor appropriate training. Oka placed 13th on a board he had never actually used before, but he knew that he could win Olympic Gold. In July 1992, right after the Barcelona Olympics, he had the chance to compete twice against Bruce Kendall from New Zealand, who had won the Olympic Gold that year, and Oka beat him both times.

Aiming to be well prepared and fit for the next Olympic Games, Oka continued competing straight after the somewhat disappointing Atlanta experience. In 1997 he won the IMCO European Championship, placed 11th at races held during the Kiel Week in Germany, and came 10th at the World Titles in Perth, Australia. Then he won the Gold Medal at the 1997 SEA-Games in Jakarta.

Due to the economic crisis which hit Indonesia last year, Oka missed the 1998 IMCO World Titles, where he already might have had the chance to qualify for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. He later won the Asian Games in Thailand and at the IMCO Asian Championship early this year he placed 4th on the new Mistral Sydney 2000 board. Oka will need to become familiar with this new style of board, which will have to be used by all the competitors at the Sydney Olympics.

Supporting Oka
One year before he faces his chance to fulfill his "Olympic Dream", I Gusti Made Oka Sulaksana still struggles with the effects the economic crisis in Indonesia has had on his race program. He is still uncertain about whether or not he can raise the required funds to participate at the Qualifying Rounds for Sydney 2000 in New Caledonia later this year and in Argentina early next year.

Oka was awarded "Indonesian Male Athlete Of The Year 1999" on the 9th of April this year by the Indonesian Sports Journalists Association, the Indonesian Sports Council and TVRI. No other financial help has been forthcoming from the usual sources, yet Oka still considers himself fortunate. A group of local people and companies have recognized his extraordinary raw talent and ability, which he has already proved against the world’s best in the Mistral Sailboard class. Among those people are members of Bali’s tourism-based expatriate community, who believe that Oka has a real chance to win Olympic Gold. They also have recognized the unusual role Oka plays in promoting Bali overseas.

The support that has been offered from various sources is generous and diverse. Quicksilver already started to sponsor Oka with clothing back in 1991, and has given him a monthly salary as a member of their local surfing/windsurfing team, which has enabled Oka to concentrate on training without worrying about where support for his family will come from.

At the May meeting of the SKAL Club of Bali, which focused on Oka’s trip to Sydney 2000, Mark Keating of Bale Gede Contractors gave a short, off-the-cuff but from-the-heart speech. The result was incredible. Many individuals and organisations gave generously.

One gift was a website set-up on www.bali-paradise.com, where local sponsors can now get up to date information on Oka’s program event by event and have a look at his photos. Hopefully, the amount of time, skill and creativity that was required to put together this web site may help to secure a major sponsor for Oka. Support also comes from the SKAL Club of Bali, the Rotary Club of Nusa Dua, PATA Bali Update, and, of course, from the many friends who have constantly given a forum with wide exposure and constantly are passing around the word.

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