Pele gives advice for Indonesian soccer's future<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
World soccer legend Pele suggests that Indonesia should organize
\nmore tournaments and carry out friendly games against strong
\nteams if the country wants to build a strong national team.<\/p>\n
In a tele-conference organized by MasterCard, the former
\nBrazilian World Cup star said on Wednesday that there were many
\nfactors weighing on a country's soccer team.<\/p>\n
\"But first of all, you need to have a nice, strong league -- a
\nwell-organized league,\" he said from Berlin where he was
\naccompanied by world soccer body FIFA President Joseph S.
\nBlatter, European body UEFA President Lennart Johansson,
\nGermany's past star Franz Beckenbauer and Peter Hoch, a
\nrepresentative from MasterCard.<\/p>\n
The tele-conference was provided to the media in 11 countries
\nin the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, China, Chinese Taipei,
\nHong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines,
\nSingapore, Thailand and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Indonesia was represented by leading dailies Kompas and The
\nJakarta Post. Participants in those countries were given an
\nopportunity in turn to ask their questions to the panelists in
\nBerlin.<\/p>\n
Born under the name of Edson Arantes do Nascimento in Tres
\nCoracoes, Brazil, on Oct. 23, 1940, Pele burst onto the
\ninternational soccer scene as a 17-year-old at the 1958 World Cup
\nin Sweden.<\/p>\n
He scored a total of six goals, including two in a 5-2 triumph
\nover Sweden to give Brazil its first-ever World Cup. He finished
\nhis career with 1,282 goals in 1,365 games and led Brazil to
\nWorld Cup victories in 1962 and 1972.<\/p>\n
His presentation at Wednesday's tele-conference was in
\nconjunction with the agreed extension of MasterCard as the
\nofficial sponsor of the 2006 World Cup in Germany and 2004
\nEuropean Championship in Portugal.<\/p>\n
Pele alluded to the need for players to play overseas through
\ntournaments and friendlies to make a strong national team.<\/p>\n
\"I think players from Indonesia, senior players, should also
\nparticipate in tournaments in South America, Europe or Asia.<\/p>\n
\"The players should be given experience to make them strong
\nand (bring them) up to a professional level,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Advice to the (Indonesian soccer) federation: have some
\ngames, friendly matches; form a strong league, then you will have
\na strong national team.\"<\/p>\n
With reference to the World Cup, he said: \"They (Indonesian
\nplayers) have the chance, because every one has the chance,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Asian soccer in general, Pele said that the teams
\nfrom the continent, as signified by the last World Cup co-hosted
\nby South Korea and Japan, could pose a dangerous threat to the
\nrest of the world.<\/p>\n
Specifically referring to South Korea, Japan and China, he
\nsaid that they should be able to perform even better in the next
\nWorld Cup if they had the organization they showed in the last
\nWorld Cup.<\/p>\n
Asia has been given four places and a half for the 2006 World
\nCup. The continent's top four teams in the qualifying tournament
\nwill qualify, while the fifth-placed team should be in the
\nplayoffs with a team from Latin America for another berth.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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