Agum vows to name committed people to PSSI
Agum vows to name committed people to PSSI
JAKARTA (JP): National congress members from the All-
Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) officially elected Agum
Gumelar to serve a four-year term at the end of their three-day
congress on Wednesday.
Soon after his election at Hotel Indonesia in Central Jakarta,
Agum told a news conference that he would select committed
assistants in PSSI to improve the condition of national soccer.
He said both familiar and new members would be on the
committee.
Agum, who was considered the only strong candidate to head the
69-year-old federation, will receive a maximum of 30 days to set
up his executive board committee. Agum replaced Azwar Anas as
PSSI chief for 1995 to 1999 in October last year.
"My decision on the committee's members might not be to
everybody's wishes, but I will try to minimalize any
dissatisfaction. It's impossible for me to totally renew the
committee because some former members are still needed to
accomplish the program," he said.
"I don't want the federation to totter."
He added that he would seek input from soccer experts to
select the right people to help him implement the PSSI guidelines
endorsed on Wednesday.
"My eyes and ears are open to understand people's
aspirations," said Agum, who is also the governor of the National
Resilience Institute (Lemhanas).
Agum said he would ask government agencies to help finance
soccer development in their respective areas.
At the end of the congress, accountant Asep Suryana and the
former director of national cement manufacturer PT Semen Gresik,
Sabar Safaruddin, were appointed as members of PSSI's auditors.
The congress' other recommendations included the setting up of
provincial chapters to replace provincial boards of
commissioners, the plan to create two national soccer teams to
recruit talented players from outside Java and the changing of
PSSI's name to the Football Association of Indonesia.
The guidelines will be specified in the work plan by the new
members of the executive board committees and representatives
from provincial chapters.
Despite the criticism from local media that congress members
lacked fresh ideas to reform the federation but merely signed off
on the proposals from the outgoing PSSI working committees,
congress deputy organizer Tondo Widodo expressed his satisfaction
that the event proceeded "smoothly".
The meeting, which was scheduled to end in the evening, was
expedited to end before the afternoon. Many sports reporters were
dismayed to find the meeting room empty when they arrived after
lunch time.
Tondo said that the recommendations from the two commissions
were accepted in a plenary meeting on Wednesday morning without
significant objection from the members. The participants also
immediately agreed to elect Agum as chairman. (ivy)