Bodybuilders plead for KONI recognition ahead of SEAG

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta

The newly established Indonesian Bodybuilding Federation's (FBI) plan to compete in the Southeast Asian Games is unlikely to materialize unless the National Sports Council (KONI) endorses it as a member sport.

FBI chairman Roy BB Janis on Friday hoped that KONI, as the national sports authority, would accept the federation as a member soon so that Indonesian bodybuilders could again participate in international events.

"We want our bodybuilders to be recognized internationally and be allowed to compete in world events. As only the FBI can make that happen, KONI should endorse us soon for the sake of our athletes," Roy said on Friday.

He said a letter requesting membership had been submitted to KONI.

The FBI is unlikely to be allowed to join KONI unless the council compromises its rules on membership.

"According to KONI's rules, a new association must have held a national championship competition for at least five years before it can be officially be added as a member," KONI secretary general Djohar Arifin told The Jakarta Post.

The requirement is likely to become a major obstacle for the FBI as it was established only last year. However, Djohar said the final decision would be made during a meeting in January.

"It will be up to the forum members to decide then whether to make a special change to the rules to allow the FBI to become a member," he said.

The FBI was established last year in the wake of the revocation of the PABBSI's membership by the Asian Bodybuilding Federation and the International Bodybuilding Federation on the grounds that the PABBSI, which also supervises weightlifting and powerlifting, supported Musclemania, an international bodybuilding event that the two international bodies did not endorse.

The cancellation means the PABBSI is no longer authorized to send its bodybuilders to international games such as the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

Having been sanctioned as Indonesia's new bodybuilding representative, the FBI held the ASEAN competition in Bali last June.

"KONI sent its officials to attend the event. That should be good news for us. I hope it means that KONI is going to legalize our (membership) status soon," Roy said.

He said the FBI had 20 provincial branches, meeting KONI's requirement that a new sports association should have at least 16 branches before it could be officially included as a member.