Cooperation needed to promote pencak silat

Cooperation needed to promote pencak silat

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian traditional martial art and sport
pencak silat has been recognized internationally but it has never
received any special attention from the government here.

It is important that the government work together with the
Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (IPSI) to increase the
sport's popularity both nationally and internationally, said
director-general of informal school education, youth and sports
at the national education ministry Endro Sumarjo on Monday. He
was speaking at a seminar to commemorate the association's 52
anniversary at a pencak silat center in East Jakarta.

Endro urged IPSI officials to submit a proposal to include the
sport in the junior and senior high school curriculums, adding
that it had already been incorporated in the elementary school
curriculum along with nine other sports.

"I'm talking on behalf of the minister of national education.
We all have to be proactive. Don't blame the government (for
doing nothing to develop the sport), but let's take a look at
ourselves. If pencak silat is not so popular, ask IPSI to be
responsible."

"If you asked for a ministerial decree to promote the sport,
we'll support you. I also agree to give physical education
teachers special training pencak silat training," he said.

The association's chairman Eddie Marzuki Nalapraya complained
he had never been invited by ministries to discuss ways to
popularize the martial art.

"I have chaired IPSI for 20 years and during that period no
government officials have invited me to discuss how to promote
the sport to other countries. I have staged world pencak silat
championships many times, and they were attended by our president
and vice president. So what's wrong with me?" he said.

IPSI officials have their own reasons for shifting the blame
on the government. None of the four ministers -- education
minister, defense minister, home affairs minister and the state
minister of tourism and arts -- invited to the seminar showed up.

Their representatives instead spoke at the seminar.

"I don't want to grumble about the ministers' absence. I
understand that they are busy with state affairs. The most
important thing is that we'll inform them of the outcome of the
seminar. All of us want this sport to be featured in the 2006
Asian Games, but if our effort fails, don't blame me," Eddie
said.

OCA Officials

The Olympic Committee of Asia (OCA) will send representatives
to observe pencak silat at the 15th National Games (PON) in
Surabaya before deciding whether it should be exhibited at the
2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea.

The association's executive director Oyong Karmayudha recalled
the difficulty he once had explaining the sport to a government
official. "The official thought that a pesilat (martial artist)
was a villager with a black suit and a big moustache."

He said in 1994 the association suggested the sport feature at
Army schools.

"We talked to the director general of Army communication
department at that time and he was enthusiastic. But after the
officer retired, his successors never followed up with the plan,"
he said.

He also said his officials had asked the home affairs ministry
to urge governors to help promote pencak silat in their provinces
should the law on regional autonomy be executed.

"The governors can help promote the sport by featuring it in
ceremonies or even trying to develop it to boost provincial
prestige through achievements in sporting events. The governors
can financially support it through the provincial budget," he
said. (ivy)