KONI still needs financial aid from govt<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will maintain its financial
\nassistance to the National Sports Council (KONI) regardless of
\nits independent status and the inception of regional autonomy,
\nMinister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja
\nsaid on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Speaking in his address to sports executives attending KONI's
\nannual congress, Surjadi said the central government shouldered a
\nresponsibility to develop national sports, as stipulated in
\nGovernment Regulation No. 25\/2000.<\/p>\n
Article 2 of the regulation states that the central government
\nis obliged to support local governments to construct sports
\nfacilities, encourage the sports community and help KONI decide
\non the standards of sports competed at national and international
\nlevels.<\/p>\n
\"I think it remains relevant for the government and the whole
\ncommunity to support the development of national sports, which in
\nthe past was funded through a special fund allocated to provinces
\nunder the Presidential Instruction for the Golden Garuda
\nproject,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The project is expected to place Indonesia sixth in the medal
\nstandings at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar.<\/p>\n
Soerjadi said further regional autonomy, which took effect on
\nJan. 1, would not hamper the development of national sports
\nbecause local governments could use a portion of the Rp 5 billion
\nprovincial allocation fund to improve their region's sports
\nachievements.<\/p>\n
\"The local authorities can consider the presence of sports
\norganization in their areas through the provincial and regency-
\nlevel sports body. The sports development and the Golden Garuda
\nproject are still relevant and worth supporting as part of the
\nimprovement of human resources,\" Surjadi said.<\/p>\n
He asserted that local governments' commitment to promoting
\nnational sports would strengthen national unity and improve
\nIndonesia's image in the international forum,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He asked the local authority to cooperate with provincial and
\nregency-level sports bodies and the city council.<\/p>\n
KONI deputy chairman Arie Sudewo welcomed the government's
\npledge of assistance. He warned, however, that each province or
\nregency would not be able to disburse sports funds that quickly.<\/p>\n
\"Each local sports body must communicate and interact fairly
\nwith the local authority,\" he said on the sidelines of the
\ncongress on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said the provincial and regency sports council could seek
\nits own sponsorship but they should coordinate with local sports
\norganization and clubs.<\/p>\n
According to him, KONI and the national sports community need
\na law to ensure shared authority and a shared budget and to
\ndefine the roles of the provincial and regency sports body and
\nthe provincial and regency sports branches.<\/p>\n
The deliberation of the new sports bill is underway and Arie
\nsaid that KONI needs more advice from its branches and the sports
\norganizations during its plenary session.<\/p>\n
Unlike its sports patron, the Badminton Association of
\nIndonesia (PBSI) has carried on its decentralized training
\nprogram in some provinces to net prospective shuttlers.<\/p>\n
PBSI executive chairman Karsono said that the current training
\norganization would not undergo major changes. \"The PBSI system is
\ncapable of improving a shuttler's achievement. We have also
\ndeveloped a good competition system.\"<\/p>\n
He said to reduce dependency on its central office, some clubs
\nin certain provinces have also initiated cooperation with private
\ncompanies, like Medan, North Sumatra (Prima Bank), Yogyakarta
\n(Haga Bank), East Java (Surya Naga, Aqua), Jakarta (Jaya Raya and
\nTangkas) and Central Java (Djarum).<\/p>\n
In the near future, he said that any regional branches could
\nsend their shuttlers to international tournaments without
\nnecessarily having attended a series of training sessions at the
\nIndonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"It's also possible for the provincial and regency branches of
\nthe PBSI to organize their own training center. But many
\nshuttlers still want to attend training in Cipayung,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other sports which fail to, or are unable, to produce
\nconsistent achievements will still be able to rely on financial
\naid issued from central office or provincial authority.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) used to allocate
\nits budget to its provincial branches, but it's now difficult to
\nseek sponsorship. The PRSI branches now rely heavily on the
\nprovincial sports council. The council will seek money, but they
\nshould concentrate on the potential sports in their areas,\" said
\nDadeng Kurnia, PRSI's vice secretary general.(ivy)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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