Bodybuilders plead for KONI recognition ahead of SEAG

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.