Discrepancies in governing sports in Indonesia
By Arif Suryobuwono
JAKARTA (JP): This year has exposed the awkward relationship between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the National Sports Governing Body (KONI), especially following Indonesia's poor showing at the 12th Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, which was concluded on Oct. 16.
The sensitive point was touched on when Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman attributed Indonesian squad's failure at the Games to KONI's poor management, a result of having too many sports it has under its auspices.
At present, KONI handles 50 sports associations, from official Olympic sports to recreational sports such as mountaineering, jogging, biking and even marching bands.
"We should follow the Olympics rules by having two separate bodies, one of which should be concentrated on the official Olympics sports only," Hayono said.
But KONI's chairman Surono rejected the suggestion, saying that the Indonesian Olympics Committee (KOI), the Olympic body Hayono envisaged, had been set up a long time ago and that separating KOI from KONI "would only add unnecessary administrative work."
The government has no right to intervene in KOI's affairs, added Surono, who is also KOI chairman.
Hayono, when confronted, acknowledged that KOI has been part of KONI since the latter's establishment in 1966, "but I think its existence should be made more clearly felt by placing it beneath KONI structurally. As a consequence, there should, of course, be someone to chair KOI."
However, early this month Surono said that if he should be reelected as KONI chairman in its congress next month, the first step he would take would be to scout talents as it is a crucial task which has not been properly done by most sports associations under KONI's patronage. He did not make any comment on Hayono's suggestions.
Seniority
So now will the focus be on talent scouting or restructuring KONI's management? Combining them would do, but one should perhaps ask which of the two bodies has the greater authority, which is a sticky issue to communicate due to a "seniority syndrome".
Surono is far more senior than Hayono, in terms of age, experience and terms of office. Moreover, Surono is a retired general while Hayono is not.
Hence, Hayono had to use his senior assistant, Imam Sujudi, to remind KONI to stick to a presidential decree known as Kepres 44/93.
"All parties involved in national sports development have followed their own ways. Had they followed the decree, efforts to develop Indonesian sports would not have been divided," Sujudi said one day before a sports symposium was held.
The decree places the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as coordinator of KONI's activities but does not specifically mention its relation with the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Hence, when Sujudi made it clear that the parties he referred to are KONI, the Ministry of Education and Culture and his office, it was clear that his message was aimed at KONI.
Rebuke
Should KONI perceive what Sujudi said as a rebuke?
"A rebuke is not necessary. We appreciate seniority. We even want to learn from our seniors on how to apply the decree. But each party should respect the decree," Sujudi said, quite diplomatically.
A day later, Hayono, speaking at the sports symposium, reminded participants that the decree was the latest, thus annulled its predecessors. By saying this, he implied that the preceding presidential Kepres 44/1984 decree, which authorizes KONI to coordinate amateur sports in Indonesia, was no longer effective.
At this point, Hayono's boldness to urge his senior to follow what he thinks is necessary to make amends for the failure, is more result-oriented than finding a scapegoat to which KONI resorted to in the first instance.
Surono, instead of admitting failure, said it was just an off- target showing due to "unforeseen circumstances" such as the low wind pressure that proved detrimental to the Indonesian wind surfing team and the presence of the former Soviet Union's republics.
Then Suweno, KONI's executive director, insisted that though failing to reach their target, Indonesian squad's performance during the Games showed considerable improvement. Some athletes even managed to come close to Asian records but were in the end outdone by other countries.
As criticism piled up, Surono stressed that actually it was each sports organization, not KONI, which should be counted as responsible for the poor performance of its athletes.
KONI's task was confined to serving as an umbrella body and providing funds for those organizations, Surono argued.
As for Suweno, he later conceded his responsibility for the squad's failure and "would gladly give up my post if next month's KONI congress decides on my dismissal."
Dismissal, of course, is the easiest and quickest way to dash an unsatisfactory result. Its opposite, resignation, provides the easiest and quickest way of escaping further responsibility. Yet, the problems will still be there.