PSIS should not give up, mayor says<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Semarang Mayor Sukawi Sutarip and head
\ncouncilor Ismoyo Subroto expressed hope on Saturday that
\nfinancial difficulties would not force the city's top club PSIS
\nto quit the national Bank Mandiri soccer league.<\/p>\n
Sukawi said he would try to set up a business enterprise to
\nfund PSIS.<\/p>\n
\"Don't disband the club just because of financial shortages.
\nLet's find a solution. We have to seek more funds to keep PSIS
\nalive. Moreover, the club was the 1999 league champion,\" Sukawi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We must immediately set up a business enterprise, the profit
\nfrom which could help finance the club,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ismoyo urged Semarang citizens to participate in financing the
\nclub. \"Central Java businesspeople are expected to give financial
\nsupport to the club so it will not withdraw from the league.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Central Java head councilor Noor Achmad suggested
\nprivatizing PSIS so it could be managed professionally and have a
\ncommercial value. PSIS is now being managed by the Semarang
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"The current manager could offer a bid to private enterprises
\nor large companies in Semarang or Central Java to maintain PSIS'
\nexistence.\"<\/p>\n
\"I'm sure PSIS can be the champion at the local and
\ninternational level if it is managed by private enterprises who
\nhave big capital,\" said Noor Achmad, who is also member of the
\ncouncil's Commission A for sports and budgeting.<\/p>\n
He alleged the club was improperly managed and had wasted
\nmoney. \"I wonder why the club's officials always say that PSIS
\nsuffers a financial loss. Unfortunately, they are not always
\ntransparent in their accountability reports,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PSIS is reportedly cash-strapped and is likely to withdraw
\nfrom competing in this year's league. The club had to delay
\npaying players' salaries, forcing club officials to borrow money
\nto pay for them.<\/p>\n
As of March 2, PSIS was 13th out of the fourteen clubs
\ncompeting in the eastern conference. From 11 matches, the
\ndefending champions have won two, drawn three and lost six.<\/p>\n
Separately in Jakarta, secretary general of the Soccer
\nAssociation of Indonesia (PSSI) Tri Goestoro told The Jakarta
\nPost on Saturday that PSSI was not capable of intervening in the
\nclub's problems.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to repeat our past mistakes. We have already
\ngiven the authority to clubs to seek for sponsorships for
\nthemselves. We understand their difficulties, but our
\ncapabilities our limited,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If we continue to support them, they won't be independent.\"
\nhe said, adding that he would keep an eye on the club.<\/p>\n
He also hailed the idea of setting up a business enterprise to
\nhelp finance the club. \"Besides the administration and the
\nbusinesspeople, they should also involve their fans. It's not an
\nindividual responsibility but a collective one,\" he said.
\n(har\/ivy)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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