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)