Promoting sports<\/p>\n
Today, as the 14th National Games (PON) open with the usual
\npomp at Jakarta's Senayan main stadium, Indonesians should be
\nhappy to know that the country's biggest sports festival is
\nexpected to be a success financially if all the funds expected
\nare collected.<\/p>\n
According to Eddy Widodo, secretary-general of the Games'
\norganizing committee, a profit of almost Rp 1.2 billion -- or
\napproximately US$500,000 -- is possible from the Games if
\nrevenues reach the expected Rp 29.7 billion (about $13.3
\nmillion).<\/p>\n
Although not as upbeat about the financial outcome of the
\ngames, with Rp 8 billion yet to come in last week, organizing
\ncommittee chairman, R.S. Museno, was confident the committee
\nwould have at least the Rp 28.5 billion needed to put on the
\nevent. Funds are to come from donors, sponsors, athlete
\nparticipation fees and ticket sales, not to mention the
\n\"mandatory donations\" collected from the public.<\/p>\n
Whether funding meets expectations or not, the fact that so
\nmuch money is being spent on PON just goes to show how much
\nthings have changed in the world of sports in Indonesia. Nowadays
\nbig money is spent on the promotion of sports in this country.
\nThe PON organizing committees no longer have to struggle to
\nscrape together barely enough money to even consider holding the
\nbig event. And with prominent business or government figures as
\nchairmen or patrons, sport associations no longer need to
\nlanguish because of shortages of funds or facilities.<\/p>\n
This in turn, it seems, is a consequence of the changed
\nperception about sports, not only in Indonesia but in the world.
\nAmateurism -- sport for the pure joy of it -- is practically
\ndead. All over the world, governments, politicians, businesses
\nand even the public at large have become greatly aware of the
\nenormous propaganda value of sports. With this the concept of
\nprofessionalism in sports emerged. Little money or effort is
\nspared to try to push the best athletes available to the utmost
\nlimits of their capabilities. And the material rewards for those
\nwho achieve are considerable.<\/p>\n
The debate between the two camps -- those who advocate
\namateurism on the one side and those who support professionalism
\non the other -- is still not definitively resolved although the
\nadvance of professionalism in sports seems difficult to resist.
\nIn any case, as far as Indonesia is concerned, the question that
\nwaits to be asked amid all this is: Why is it that despite all
\nthe luxuries that athletes enjoy nowadays, sports is not faring
\nbetter in this country?<\/p>\n
Admittedly, in many sports, our past athletic achievements
\nfade in comparison with national records that have been
\nestablished in recent years. But on a comparative basis -- that
\nis to say, compared to other countries, even in this region -- it
\nmust be said that Indonesia has suffered a serious decline. On an
\noverall basis, we did much better some three or four decades ago.
\nThe obvious question is, why? The sports situation at that time,
\nafter all, was much more spartan than it is now.<\/p>\n
In soccer, for example Indonesia was a much respected power in
\nthis region during the 1950s and early 1960s. We have since had
\nto relinquish that position to Burma (now Myanmar) and others.
\nOther, much smaller countries such as Vietnam, seem to have
\nmanaged to rise where we have continued to fail.<\/p>\n
This problem has been raised many times before and many
\npossible answers have been offered to the question posed above.
\nThere are those who say that for the majority of Indonesians
\nsports just no longer has the drawing power which it once had.
\nPerhaps there is some truth in this reasoning. Anyone who has
\nbeen around long enough to make comparisons can attest that the
\nnumber of sports fields or parks has been drastically reduced
\nover the decades to make way for commercial or residential
\nbuildings. Even schools rarely have adequate facilities for
\nsports.<\/p>\n
Surely, if the promotion of sports in this country is to be
\ntaken seriously, this and other possible reasons for our
\ncountry's decline are worth pondering by everyone concerned.
\nHopefully, the 14th National Games which opens today will mark
\nthe beginning of a new and brighter chapter in our sports annals.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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