Fourteen youngsters banned from league

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)