A sporting chance in a win-at-all-costs world<\/p>\n
It was Feb. 13th, the last day of the nine-round chess
\ncompetition at the National Journalists Games (Porwanas) in
\nPekanbaru, Riau.<\/p>\n
Although I had no chance of winning a medal in the individual
\ncompetition, my teammate Rela Ginting, a National Master, was
\nhopeful of bringing Jakarta gold in the team event in his last
\nmatch.<\/p>\n
We set out from the hotel in high spirits. It was a 20-minute
\ndrive to the venue, along a new two-lane highway and past an
\nalmost completed mall, concrete symbols of the oil-rich
\nprovince's desire to stamp its identity in the age of autonomy.<\/p>\n
As we drove, my mind could not help wander to what a gold
\nmedal would mean. Usually limited to reporting on the sporting
\nexploits of others, I would now get to bask in the moment of
\nbeing the hero, applauded for bringing Jakarta a rare medal.<\/p>\n
A bonus? Well, why not? Bonuses are something to hope for, or
\neven to fight for (case in point in badminton player Taufik
\nHidayat and official Icuk Sugiarto almost coming to blows on
\nTuesday over its distribution).<\/p>\n
But it was a passing hope; a contingent official had told us
\nwe were lucky to make it to the event, with several corporations
\nthat earlier pledged funds withdrawing them after the terrible
\nDec. 26 tsunami.<\/p>\n
Even with the calls for the games to be scrapped altogether
\nand the money contributed to rebuilding Aceh, Porwanas, in
\nconjunction with National Press Day on Feb. 10, had gone ahead.<\/p>\n
A medal around my neck, I thought, would be the final,
\ncrowning glory on my hiatus spent freed from newsroom deadlines
\nand enjoying the trappings of an athlete competing for his team.<\/p>\n
It began upon arrival, as I was quickly ushered through the
\nsecurity checkpoint in my red-and-white jersey, my luggage taken
\ncare of and safely deposited in my hotel.<\/p>\n
I was one of 1,800 representatives from 32 contingents
\ncompeting in 12 sports: athletics, chess, badminton, billiards,
\nbowling, bridge, rowing, swimming, soccer, tennis, table tennis
\nand volleyball.<\/p>\n
The opening ceremony, with a mass dance by 1,000 students and
\na skydiving performance, heightened the mood. In our official
\nteam uniforms, we walked past the honorary podium, taking off our
\nhats to acknowledge the dignitaries.<\/p>\n
"Good luck, and uphold sportsmanship," declared a chairman of
\nthe organizing committee.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the second part of
\nhis message was in short supply on the courts, pitches and
\nstadiums where the competitions played out.<\/p>\n
For many of the supposed "journalists" were nothing of the
\nsort. Instead, some contingents had recruited skilled amateurs to
\ncompete in their win-at-all-costs quest for medals.<\/p>\n
Real journalists were competing against opponents who were way
\nout of their league.<\/p>\n
It appeared the host team was especially guilty of this
\npractice, perhaps seeking to justify the Rp 6 billion expenditure
\nto its people with a bumper haul of medals.<\/p>\n
A Papuan volleyball team, finding itself up against the host
\nteam allegedly fielding six nonjournalists, played for a few
\nseconds, and then gave up in mock surrender.<\/p>\n
In the soccer final between Riau and Jakarta, the visitors,
\ntrailing 1-2, refused to play the last 15 minutes because, they
\nsaid, the referee was partial.<\/p>\n
Even locals were disgusted by the sham.<\/p>\n
"I really deplore this act. We all know we have been fighting
\nagainst bogus journalists ... but how can it happen that we
\naccommodate them to play in this event?" said a caller to a TV
\ntalk show.<\/p>\n
On that final day, we experienced the dodgy practices for
\nourselves.<\/p>\n
The match, with Rela taking on a local favorite, began 30
\nminutes earlier than scheduled, with nobody bothering to inform
\nus.<\/p>\n
With Rela racing against time to avoid being defaulted, we
\narrived. Then fans swirling above came to a halt. "The
\nelectricity cut out," an official said.<\/p>\n
Rela was in a winning position but ran out of time. To our
\nsurprise -- like magic, or perhaps conforming to a carefully
\ndevised "game plan" -- the fans suddenly went on again.<\/p>\n
Still, our team took the bronze.<\/p>\n
Back in Jakarta a few days later, I met Rela's conqueror in a
\nqualifying tournament for the 2005 SEA Games in Manila.<\/p>\n
"What a tight competition it is here," he said. "But I'll try
\nto do my best, in order to keep my bosses back at the freight
\nshipment company smiling."<\/p>\n
Winning and losing is not all the same, after all. Others can
\nhave their gold medals, but I have my own taking pride of place
\nin my home.<\/p>\n
And I won it fair and square. -- Musthofid<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-sporting-chance-in-a-win-at-all-costs-world-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }