Fourteen youngsters banned from league

JAKARTA (JP): At least 14 players were banned from participating in the Bogasari Under-15 soccer league after falsifying their ages.

Another player from Lampung is still trying to confirm his age, with his original birth certificate being brought here by his parents.

Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) spokesman Eddie Elison said on Tuesday that two players from North Sumatra could not join the team because their birth certificates were illegible, while five players from East Nusa Tenggara, one from West Sumatra and three from Jambi could not produce their original birth certificate or diplomas.

He said two players from Aceh were proved to be over 15-years old after a series of medical checks, while the finger prints of another player from Bali were found to be different from his diplomas and identification card.

Potential players from the league will be invited to join the long-term training program in Medan, North Sumatra. They will be coached by Briton Jim Bryden, who will also join the talent- scouting procedure.

"Indonesian players have good physical strength. Players should not be judged by their height, but from their physical strength. To build it, a player needs good nutrition," Bryden was quoted by Eddie as saying on Tuesday. (ivy)