Maintain the Games soccer team: Official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A top official from the Indonesian Football
\nAssociation (PSSI) disagrees that the SEA Games soccer team
\nshould be dissolved, preferring it to be maintained.<\/p>\n
Syarnoebi Said, the association's advisor, made the statement
\nMonday, following Indonesia's 3-5 defeat by Thailand at the
\nSenayan Stadium Saturday and the brutality of spectators wrecking
\nthe stadium and damaging cars.<\/p>\n
\"The team, under coach Henk Wullems, is still the best managed
\nby PSSI, so, I don't think we should terminate it but rather
\nmaintain it,\" Syarnoebi said.<\/p>\n
Syarnoebi, a former chairman of the association, said if there
\nwas a plan to break up the team and create a new one, it would
\nnot produce a good team.<\/p>\n
He agrees that rather than abolish the team, it would be
\nbetter if there were an improvement on the players, particularly
\nregarding weaknesses found in the team.<\/p>\n
As to plans to form another SEA Games team, Syarnoebi said
\nagain this is not the right time because there are two more
\nevents which have to be concentrated.<\/p>\n
\"The team should now concentrate on two events, the ASEAN Cup,
\nto be held in Jakarta, and the Asian Games 1998 in Bangkok,\"
\nSyarnoebi said.<\/p>\n
Syarnoebi said that Wullems should now think of giving the
\nplayers more practice, including trial matches with teams from
\nEurope.<\/p>\n
\"Such a move was made by Thailand. As to our defeat by
\nThailand, we should not be dismayed because our players have done
\ntheir best,\" Syarnoebi said.<\/p>\n
Syarnoebi has promised to give an extra bonus of Rp 3 million
\nto each player, after Indonesia managed to grab the silver medal.<\/p>\n
On Monday, a soccer observer from Surabaya, East Java, called
\non the association's executives to resign after Indonesia's
\ndefeat.<\/p>\n
\"It's obvious that PSSI could not bring the Indonesian team to
\nvictory. For this reason, I suggest that the association's
\nexecutives resign from their position,\" said Edi Yuwono of the
\nPersebaya team, reported Antara.<\/p>\n
Edi said that PSSI would have succeeded in its mission had
\nIndonesia won the tournament. \"If our team wins, this is a
\nsuccess. But if it loses, it is high time there is a change in
\nthe association's management.\"<\/p>\n
The brutality of the spectators wrecking the stadium and
\ndamaging cars has led to the possibility that the Asian Football
\nConfederation (AFC) might impose punitive action on PSSI,
\nprohibiting it from holding international matches for an unstated
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Nugraha Besoes, the association's secretary, said
\nif the AFC does take punitive action on PSSI, it will mean
\nIndonesia could not hold three events: the Winners Cup Winners,
\nNovember, and the Tigers Cup and pre-Olympics next year.<\/p>\n
\"We have sent a detailed report to the AFC on the tragedy. We
\nonly hope that the AFC understands the situation and does not
\npunish us (PSSI),\" Nugraha said.<\/p>\n
PSSI is currently totaling the cost of damages caused by the
\nspectators and what action is to be taken. A meeting is scheduled
\nto be held tomorrow by PSSI and the coach. (lnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maintain-the-games-soccer-team-official-1447893297",
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