Face defeat with a smile, says Wismoyo
Face defeat with a smile, says Wismoyo
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (JP): A tide of defeats is sweeping in, but there is always a consolation.
It is a heart of a lion that keeps Indonesian sports chief Wismoyo Arismunandar hanging around the 700th Anniversary sports complex for his daily tour during the 18th Southeast Asian Games here, only to watch his athletes fumbling all the way.
Host Thailand's triumph, and correspondingly Indonesia's defeat, is now inevitable. But Indonesia's sports boss invests a lot of energy in maintaining his athletes' fighting spirit.
Wismoyo, 55, who rose to the top of the national sports body this year, spends his time cheering, singing and clapping his hands on the supporters' bench whenever Indonesian athletes are battling it out.
When a competition ends, the former Army Chief of Staff will go down to the playing field to shake hands with all his brave knights, no matter what the outcome is.
"I'm very proud of you," he is wont to say to his soldiers.
Wismoyo always tries to prevent the demoralization which threatens to engulf his losing athletes. "A defeat just means a delayed path to success," he says.
Months before the Games, Wismoyo launched SEA Games fever all over the country. "We have to win," he roared.
As if to make sure that the national team were solidly built up, Wismoyo put the seven-month training stint, which went together with the national selection, under his close scrutiny day by day.
The retired four-star general lobbied national business heavyweights, which later resulted in a whopping Rp 18 billion (US$8.1 million) fund for the SEA Games team's preparations.
Nobody could blame the thrashing of Indonesia by Thailand on chain smoking Wismoyo, who devoted himself to the national judo association since 1982. National team's preparations were done competently with scientific planning.
"It seems that we only know how strong we are, but overlook our enemies' power," Wismoyo said during a meeting with his staff on Wednesday night. A daily meeting to evaluate Indonesian athletes' performance during the Games is held by the national sports officials.
The fact that Thailand stands head and shoulder above Indonesia clearly shows that his reminder of the importance of sports did not get a thorough reception.
"Recognize who you are as well as who your enemies are," Wismoyo has said on every tour of duty he made during the national training program.
A noted sports observer, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar, made a mathematical computation that predicted another defeat for Indonesia in this year's SEA Games.
But Wismoyo refuses to lay the blame at the athletes door. "Our sportsmen and women have done their best. They did not disappoint me," he says.
"Any slaps should be directed at me since I am the one responsible for my athletes' performance," Wismoyo opined.
Wismoyo asked his staff to keep Indonesia's challenge in top gear during Wednesday's meeting, despite the nightmare which is drawing near.
"Even if we lose, be a good loser. I want everybody to leave the Games with their heads up," Wismoyo said, as if to give his last command.
Wismoyo is scheduled to return home on Sunday, only a few hours before the closing ceremony. He will receive the national contingent who are slated to arrive home on Monday. (amd)