PBSI candidates prepare for election<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The two candidates for the top post at the Badminton
\nAssociation of Indonesia (PBSI) both claimed on Friday to have
\nthe support to win Saturday's election.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso, who has received a vote of confidence from several
\nformer national players, said as many as 23 provincial chapters
\nbacked him to replace Chairul Tanjung as chairman of the PBSI.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso, who was nominated by the Jakarta chapter, will be
\nrunning against media tycoon Dahlan Iskan, who was nominated by
\nthe East Java chapter.<\/p>\n
\"Last night, I met with representatives from 23 PBSI chapters.
\nThis support means they count on me, and I am ready to take
\nit ...,\" Sutiyoso, who is also the Jakarta governor and the
\nchairman of the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi), said
\non Friday at City Hall.<\/p>\n
However, there are indications that 16 provincial chapters are
\nready to back Dahlan, which would undercut Sutiyoso's claim of
\nsupport given that the PBSI only has 29 chapters in 32 provinces
\nthroughout the country.<\/p>\n
Lutfi Hamid, who chairs the West Java chapter and is also the
\nsecretary-general of the PBSI, said Dahlan was the right man for
\nthe position.<\/p>\n
\"He is not a bureaucrat ... so he should have more time to
\nspare for the badminton association,\" Lutfi said.<\/p>\n
He was accompanied by officials from the Banten, East Nusa
\nTenggara, West Kalimantan and Bali chapters.<\/p>\n
He added that Dahlan had promised to provide about Rp 10
\nbillion (US$1.1 million) in funds each year to meet the needs of
\nthe PBSI.<\/p>\n
A separate meeting between officials from several provincial
\nchapters was held at the Hilton Hotel, where the PBSI's
\nextraordinary meeting will be held on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Officials from the East Kalimantan, Bengkulu, South Sulawesi,
\nGorontalo, East Java, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Jambi, Riau,
\nCentral Java and Central Kalimantan chapters gathered to show
\ntheir support for Dahlan's nomination.<\/p>\n
Chairul Tanjung, who was elected PBSI chairman in 2001, was
\nforced out of the position in the wake of a string of poor
\nperformances by the national team.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the week, a group of former national players signed
\na petition in support of Sutiyoso to replace Chairul. The
\npetition signers included eight-time All England champion Rudy
\nHartono.<\/p>\n
Discussing his vision for the association, Sutiyoso said he
\nwould work to empower the provincial chapters in an effort to
\nreinvigorate the development of young athletes nationwide.<\/p>\n
\"The provincial chapters are the ones that locate promising
\nathletes, while the PBSI then recruits them for further
\ntraining,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso, a retired Army general, said he would relinquish his
\npost at Perbasi to vice chairman Erick Thohir if elected chairman
\nof the PBSI.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pbsi-candidates-prepare-for-election-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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