Sports tradition<\/p>\n
From Neraca<\/p>\n
Allow me first to congratulate Mr. Rahardi Ramelan for being
\nreelected chairman of the All-Indonesia Swimming Association
\n(PRSI) at the association's national conference in Jakarta. In
\nhis address, Rahardi said that he was ready to be reelected after
\nthe other four candidates stated that they were not ready to
\nreplace him.<\/p>\n
The other four candidates were Adm. Widodo A.S. (Indonesian
\nMilitary [TNI] commander), Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\n(minister of mines and energy), Yusuf Kalla (minister of industry
\nand trade) and Arifin Panigoro (businessman). According to
\nRahardi, these candidates said they were not ready to replace him
\neither because they were too busy or because they were not
\nfamiliar with the sport.<\/p>\n
Rahardi said he had written a letter to these four candidates
\nbefore the national conference began and was told that the four
\nof them could not replace him because of the reasons referred to
\nabove. \"I respect these figures because, although they are not
\nready to lead PRSI, they have responded to my letter,\" Rahardi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
What I am concerned about is the rejection from the four
\nfigures. Why so? Rahardi's statement must have been made after a
\nboard meeting was held. In this case, it seems the tradition that
\na sports association must be led by a government official still
\nremains.<\/p>\n
Although Arifin Panigoro is not a government official, he must
\nhave been approached as one of the candidates because he is an
\nimportant figure in the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan), which won the general election and now holds a
\nmajority in the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
In this context, still fresh in our minds is the \"tragedy\"
\nconcerning former attorney general Andi M. Ghalib. He was put in
\na difficult position when he was considered as having \"pressured\"
\nseveral businessmen to help finance the All-Indonesia Wrestling
\nAssociation (PGSI) under his chairmanship.<\/p>\n
It cannot be legally proved that the \"donation\" from Prajogo
\nPangestu to an account in Andi M. Ghalib's name, claimed to be a
\nPGSI account, is closely linked with the status of Prajogo as a
\nsuspect. However, the latter's case was then being handled by the
\nAttorney General's Office, and the public cannot but believe that
\nin this respect there was a hand-in-glove game.<\/p>\n
We don't seem to have learned from the fact that entrusting
\nthe chairmanship of a sports organization to a government
\nofficial means opening up an opportunity for cheating because
\ngovernment officials usually have businessmen as partners.<\/p>\n
However, we must congratulate Rahardi, who is now no longer a
\ngovernment official. May his leadership lead to new
\nprofessionalism in the management of sports organizations.<\/p>\n
M. Sujal<\/p>\n
Pondok Aren, Tangerang<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sports-tradition-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }