Give praise where it's due

Give praise where it's due

From Kompas

In the weeks leading up to the Fed Cup tennis meet between Indonesia and Italy, many good words were voiced in official statements to the press. This was a fresh change from harsh sentiments. I myself always admire the achievements of athletes.

When I was chairman of the national tennis team board, I received many words of appreciation which should rightfully have been addressed to the athletes and their trainers. The board was merely there to ensure the athletes' peace of mind.

Atet Wiyono, non-playing captain of the Fed Cup team for the Italy tie, said in the July 11 issue of Kompas, "Wynne Prakusya made a spectacular appearance at the Fed Cup in New Zealand". That is very true. But the achievement of non-playing captain Suharyadi and trainer Sri Utaminingsih was perhaps equally spectacular in motivating Yayuk Basuki, Eny Sulistyowati and Mimma Chernovita to make a clean sweep of the matches against seven countries in Zone I Asia/Oceania.

I strongly support the adulation of our athletes. Modern sports is built on the star system, the creation of stars to inspire other athletes and attract the support of sponsors. Eric Cantona, Ronaldo, Michael Jordan and Martina Hingis have generated tens of millions of dollars (hundreds of billions of rupiah) from sponsors so that other professional athletes can also benefit and achieve.

The FA Cup, the NBA and professional tennis make progress because they create stars, not in the games only, but mainly outside the arena through promotion. Andre Agassi still wallows in sponsorship money even though his ATP Tour ranking is below that of Yayuk Basuki on the WTA. International sports lives from people's need for heroes, not from a bureaucratic program. FIFA and ITF provide a way for sponsors to create sports stars based on public adulation.

Let us hope we will continue to appreciate our athletes as the development of our sports depends on their achievements.

WIMAR WITOELAR

Jakarta