Debt puts location of Tiger up on the line

JAKARTA (JP): The 19th Southeast Asian Games row continued yesterday with the National Sports Council admitting that it owes the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) US$58,384.

The debt has become a headache for the All Indonesia Soccer Federation because the AFC has threatened to change its plans to stage the 2nd Tiger Cup in Indonesia if the sports council fails to pay its dues by May 14.

The council's deputy chairman Arie Sudewo appeared reluctant to comment on the case yesterday, but promised to settle the matter together with the national soccer body.

"We will discuss ways out of the problem with executives of the soccer body as soon as possible. Hopefully we can solve the problem immediately," Arie said.

"We will use all means possible to clear the debt because Indonesia's reputation is at stake."

Arie declined to reveal what kind of efforts sports council executives had in mind.

"In short, we'll do something, so just be patient," he said. "We all want to make the Tiger Cup a success."

Earlier on Monday, the national soccer body's general secretary Nugraha Besoes disclosed that the SEA Games Organizing Committee, which consisted largely of national sports council executives, owed US$38,384 in referees' salaries, a US$12,000 compulsory fee to the AFC, and a US$8,000 fine for disturbances caused by Indonesian crowds during the soccer competition in last year's sporting event.

Nugraha said the SEA Games organizers originally owed US$90,000 to the AFC, but had paid back US$32,000.

"We have fallen victim to the sports council's failure to quickly settle their debts," Nugraha complained at a celebration to mark the national soccer body's 68th anniversary.

He said soccer executives would try to lobby the AFC.

The Tiger Cup, featuring eight Southeast Asian teams, is scheduled to be held here from Aug. 26 to Sept. 7. Brunei and Cambodia failed to qualify for the biannual tournament.

Indonesia has set its sights on winning the Cup and bringing to an end a decade-long international title drought.

If the team fails to win, the National Sports Council will not allow them to compete in the 13th Asian Games to be held in Bangkok next December. (emf)