Amateur soccer tourney promises action

Amateur soccer tourney promises action

JAKARTA (JP): The intercity amateur soccer championship finals
will swing into full action at the 100,000-seat Senayan stadium
on Friday, with red hot favorite Bandung Persib and defending
champion PSM of Ujungpandang out to clear their first hurdles.

Five time winner Persib takes on Persiraja of Banda Aceh and
PSM is poised to tackle unexpected aspirant PSIR of Rembang, a
tiny town in northern Central Java, on the opening day of the
biennial event which is slated to wind up on April 17.

The country's biggest footballing extravaganza organized by
the national soccer association (PSSI) will pit eight clubs which
were screened from 16 teams during the round-robin qualifying
rounds, which were marred by a score of brawls motivated by
alleged match rigging.

The finalists will be split into two groups, each comprising
four teams. Surabaya's Persebaya and its East Javanese neighbor,
Persegres Gresik, are included in Group K with host Jakarta
Persija and PSMS of Medan. The teams from Bandung, Aceh, Rembang
and Ujungpandang will line up in Group L.

The two best squads from each group will play cross over
semifinals on April 15, with the winner of Group K meeting with
the runner-up of Group L and the Group L leader battling it out
for a final slot against the runner-up of Group K.

Ujungpandang claimed its first victory after 26 years in 1992
by beating Medan in the final.

PSSI is so wary of match-fixing attempts among the footballers
and officials that it has banned them from receiving telephone
calls at their hotels. They also will not be able to meet their
families or relatives during the 10-day competition without
PSSI's consent.

The footballers and officials will be billeted at the Century
Park Hotel, a three-star hotel owned by the Senayan management
board, during their stay here.

"The idea was proposed by managers of the eight participating
teams," said PSSI's amateur league administrator Agum Gumelar,
who is also the national special forces (Kopassus) commander.

Chairman of PSSI's referee commission, Jafar Umar, said strong
punitive measures will be introduced to prevent bribery. "Soccer
players, officials and referees face a life ban if they are found
guilty of accepting bribes," Jafar said.

Agum added that PSSI has thrown its full attention at
preventing hooliganism during the country's most emotion-filled
event. Massive brawls among supporters have marred the biennial
championship's history.

"We mean to stage orderly, qualified and secure matches," said
Agum, noting that supporters of a given team will be separated
from those of the other team competing. (amd)