Whither Indonesian sports?<\/p>\n
The 2002 World Cup soccer finals in Korea and Japan are just a
\nfew months away and, as in previous years, Indonesians can only
\ndream of having their national team qualify for the quadrennial
\nevent.<\/p>\n
The question that immediately begs to be answered here is, why
\nis it that Indonesia has always failed in recent years to qualify
\nfor such grand international events?<\/p>\n
Things, after all, have not always been so gloomy. Older
\nsports fans in this country recall with a good deal of nostalgia
\nthe situation as they knew it from around the 1950s to the early
\n1970s, when Indonesia enjoyed an impressive reputation in the
\nworld of international sports -- in Asian soccer in particular.<\/p>\n
The argument that this is due to the lack of competition could
\nwell be true. Previously, quite a number of soccer leagues
\nexisted to lend life and luster to the yearly competitions,
\nwhereas at present there is only one competition each year. This
\ncould indeed be enough. At the same time, however, it raises the
\nnext question, which is whether this single competition has the
\nquality needed to boost the players' skills.<\/p>\n
The problem suffered by Indonesia's sports, and not only
\nsoccer, is not just a lack of competition. We also face the
\nreality that most of our coaches rarely join courses, either
\nshort-term or long-term, here at home or abroad, due to their
\npoor command of the English language. This may sound simple, but
\nreality bites.<\/p>\n
Besides, many coaches in Indonesia are former players who have
\nnever gone to a sports academy. The fact is that even the best
\nplayer in the world still needs technical knowledge before he can
\nturn himself into a coach. The poor behavior of athletes is
\nanother problem in Indonesian sports. Most of our athletes are
\nsatisfied with their achievements at the regional Southeast Asian
\nlevel, tending to forget, or ignore, the fact that higher steps
\nawait them in competitions at the Asian and world levels.<\/p>\n
Having money in their pockets is enough to make them forget
\ntheir real commitment as athletes and that they must constantly
\nbe prepared to meet the demands of staying fit and be prepared
\nfor international competitions. Poor behavior off-court will
\neventually affect their on-court performance. Fame and fortune
\nare definitely very tempting to athletes who already stand to
\nlose their youth and their vigor due to their tight training
\nprograms. Hence they want to make sure that their sacrifice is
\nproperly compensated by indulging in a high-living lifestyle,
\nincluding by consuming drugs.<\/p>\n
Many people also point a finger at the centralized power of
\nthe National Sports Council (KONI) as the cause of Indonesia's
\ndeclining performance in international sports. However, it is
\nunfair to put the blame on KONI alone. The government's resolve
\nto boost sports must also be questioned. Former president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's decision to close down the office of the
\nState Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports shows how the
\ngovernment considers sports an unimportant issue. And although
\nthe Ministry of National Education now has its director-general
\nof sports, this alone is not enough.<\/p>\n
The government must focus its attention on sports development,
\nstarting with schools. Schools, as well as clubs, are the sources
\nof our athletes. The government must set up a regulation
\nrequiring that schools -- starting from kindergarten and moving
\nup to university level -- have proper sports facilities in a
\nconscious effort to create sports champions.<\/p>\n
The role of parents is also important in introducing sports to
\nchildren at an early age, when it is most effective, and support
\ntheir choice to become athletes. After all, when all is said and
\ndone, a proper national sports training and education program
\nwill benefit not only Indonesia's national prestige as a sporting
\nnation throughout the rest of the world. Of no less importance is
\nthe fact that it will ensure the physical well-being of future
\ngenerations of Indonesians.<\/p>",
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