The Hiroshima debacle<\/p>\n
Frankly, it is with considerable reluctance that we now talk
\nabout Indonesia's repeated failures in the contemporary
\ninternational sports arena. After all, we have no doubt that the
\ngreatest efforts have been made by both our athletes and sports
\nofficials to represent their country to the best of their
\ncapabilities.<\/p>\n
We believe, however, that last week's debacle at Hiroshima
\ncould serve us all well as a reminder that surely something needs
\ncorrection in the management of sports in this country.<\/p>\n
The failure at the 12th Asian Games, which closed on Sunday
\nhas raised many eyebrows. After all, Indonesia, Southeast Asia's
\nlargest country and one that is not without a proud history of
\nsports achievements, failed to place itself among the \"big 10\"
\nonce the final medal tally was completed. We really suffered in
\nterms of both, quality and quantity.<\/p>\n
It may not be at all surprising that China, with a population
\nof one billion, came out the overall winner with 137 gold medals.
\nThe same may be said of South Korea, which placed itself in
\nsecond place, beating out Japan. Although South Korea has a
\nsmaller population, it is well known for the drive and the high
\nsense of discipline of its people.<\/p>\n
Indonesia -- with only three gold medals -- came out 11th,
\njust below Qatar, a tiny Middle East country of half a million
\npeople. Two grades above Indonesia, is Malaysia, the frequent
\nchampion of the Southeast Asia Games, which, up to last week, had
\nnever overtaken us in sports.<\/p>\n
The National Sports Committee, which was responsible for the
\npreparation and the sending of the Indonesian contingent to
\nHiroshima, was apparently not very optimistic even before the
\ndeparture of the teams last month. The officials said they would
\nnot set any specific targets, but promised to fight as best as
\nthey could.<\/p>\n
The two-week struggle there resulted in gold for Indonesia
\nonly in badminton. And even so, Susi Susanti, our badminton
\nwomen's singles world champion, lost and had to settle for
\nbronze. Badminton seemed to have been the only branch we felt we
\ncould rely on. And now, even in that sport, we have had to see
\nour position stolen out from under us by other nations.<\/p>\n
Aside from all of that, a decades-old question seems to remain
\nrelevant: What is wrong with the development of sports in our
\ncountry? Besides having a minister who is in charge of sports, we
\nhave many high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen who are
\ninvolved in the management and development of sports. Yet our
\nachievements remain insignificant. Is it that our people are so
\ndifficult to manage, or are we simply unable to properly develop
\nour sporting activities?<\/p>\n
It its high time for this nation to determine where the real
\nhurdles are. Perhaps the nearest truth is that fewer and fewer
\npeople can afford to spend time on sports, while those who can
\nlack proper training.<\/p>\n
It seems to us that in the 1950s, for example, a whole lot
\nmore students regularly took part in national sports activities.
\nLittle wonder, perhaps, that Indonesia managed to place itself in
\nthe No. 2 spot with 11 gold medals, after Japan in first place,
\nin the third Asian Games in Jakarta in 1962.<\/p>\n
It certainly wouldn't hurt us to look more seriously into the
\nquestion of why, during the 1950s and 1960s, when \"guidance\" was
\npractically an unknown word, we seemed to do so much better in
\nthe sports arena on a national, as well as an international
\nscale.<\/p>\n
As for the present, no simple solution for our problem seems
\nto be in sight. But, in light of the fact that other countries
\nare said to have progressed because of their high sense of
\ndiscipline, we might perhaps begin by pondering the possibility
\nof asking our highly disciplined military officers to help manage
\nthe training programs? This could be regarded as part of their
\nsocial function. And, who knows, our performance in the world of
\nsports might take a turn for the better.<\/p>",
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