PSSI insists on continuing Italian stint<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI)
\ninsisted on dispatching junior players to Italy for a second
\nsuccessive period yesterday, despite the failure of their
\npredecessors to meet their targets.<\/p>\n
\"We agreed to continue the two-year overseas stint as a non-
\npermanent program, until we manage to set up a qualified junior
\ncompetition,\" Secretary-General Soeparjo Pontjowinoto told a
\npress conference after a PSSI's plenary meeting yesterday.<\/p>\n
The decision appeared to serve as a compromise following
\nsevere criticism within the national soccer body, calling for a
\nhalt to the project.<\/p>\n
All of PSSI's top executives, including Chairman Azwar Anas
\nand project officer of the Italian stint, Nirwan Bakrie, attended
\nthe meeting, which lasted almost four hours.<\/p>\n
Soeparjo refused to call the Italian stint -- worth Rp 2.4
\nbillion (US$1.09 million) -- a failure, even though the country's
\ncream of the crop failed to qualify for either the under-20 World
\nCup finals or the 1996 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
\"They are not that bad. They scored two wins and just narrowly
\nlost out to mighty South Korea in the Olympic qualifying round,\"
\nSoeparjo said. \"In general, they have improved because seven of
\nthem have signed with European clubs,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Soeparjo said that the plenary meeting agreed not to zero in
\nthe failures of the maiden project. \"We already know our
\nshortcomings and now we want to carry out a well-planned
\nprogram,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Soeparjo, the second batch of junior players
\nwould not bear as heavy a burden over becoming the national team
\nas their predecessors did. \"It is merely a development program
\nfor our junior players,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The second two-year Italian stint will include 20 players
\nselected from the Suratin Cup Under-18 championship, the National
\nStudent Games and provincial training centers. They will leave
\nfor Italy in October.<\/p>\n
Soeparjo admitted that the PSSI had not set a deadline for a
\nwell-run junior league, but asserted that the competition will
\nhave to start next year.<\/p>\n
\"We are trying to make it come true as soon as possible, so
\nthat we no longer need to send our juniors abroad,\" said
\nSoeparjo.<\/p>\n
A small team of five, comprised of Nirwan Bakrie, Agum
\nGumelar, Ismet Tahir, Bob Hippy and Nabon Noor, has been assigned
\nto draw up the proposal of the junior league and supervise it.<\/p>\n
The league, an improvement on the Suratin Cup, will follow in
\nthe footsteps of the national premier league. It will parade 36
\ncity teams which play round robin matches, but a home and away
\nsystem will not be applied.<\/p>\n
The junior league will be funded through sponsorships.<\/p>\n
PSSI officially disbanded the national junior team on Monday.
\nApart from the seven players who signed with European club, three
\nbooters returned to their former clubs and another seven are
\nauctioned to premier league clubs for Rp 10 million ($4,545)
\neach.<\/p>\n
PSSI also announced yesterday that only two junior players,
\ngoalkeeper Kurnia Sandy and defender Aples Tecuari, will be added
\nto the lineup of the national team prepared for the 18th
\nSoutheast Asian Games in Chiang Mai. (amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pssi-insists-on-continuing-italian-stint-1447893297",
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