Give us back our pride
Give us back our pride
There is no prouder moment for Indonesians than when they see
the red-and-white flag of their country raised and hear the
national anthem Indonesia Raya played at an international sports
event. Unfortunately, such moments of pride have been rare these
past years.
The Indonesian athletes who represented the nation at the
recently concluded Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, were not
the only ones who experienced such moments of pride -- and who
suffered through the heartbreak of defeat. The Indonesians who
watched the games thousands of miles away on their television
screens experienced these same emotions. It is times like these
when we feel united in our nationalist elan.
Unfortunately, our moments of national pride seem to have
become rarer and rarer over the years, with fewer and fewer of
our athletes able to craft victory at such grand international
events.
Our woeful showing at the 14th Asiad in Busan proved that
something has gone terribly wrong with sports development in our
country. And yet, this fact is constantly being denied by our
National Sports Council (KONI).
Of course, KONI is not a government organization. Still, being
the highest body for sports development in the country, there is
no option but for KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar to take
responsibility for this failure, and not only at the Busan Asiad
but for the last eight years since he took over the post.
Indonesia's failure to let its voice be heard at major
international sports events began around the time of the 1995
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand. As the host
of the SEA Games in 1997, however, our national athletes managed
to regain their domination, only to slump back into third place
at the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei. One obvious and simple question
that arises is: why?
Since KONI is dominated by generals (a remnant from the days
of the military-dominated Soeharto regime), KONI officials rarely
serve the interests of the athletes in their charge. Used to
being served and obeyed, these generals tend to be content simply
with receiving information from sports organization officials and
subordinates, which unfortunately is not always correct.
Officials are rarely seen mingling with athletes unless there
is a specific occasion, such as prior to a major event like the
SEA Games, Asiad or Olympics. This situation is made worse by the
fact that most sports associations follow KONI's example by
installing Cabinet ministers or wealthy businesspeople as their
chairmen. Many athletes complain about the gap that exists
between them and their officials.
The point is: if meeting officials is so difficult how can
athletes effectively communicate with their officials? To make
matters worse, many of the officials' subordinates take advantage
of the situation, and some join the organizations simply to earn
money. The large number of military officers, public officials
and businesspeople serving in sports organizations and in KONI in
effect ensure their ineffectiveness. Some big names registered as
officials in those organizations do not even turn up until the
end of their tenures.
If those organizations and KONI want to work effectively, they
must work professionally. There is no need for huge numbers of
officials. It would be better to have a small number of people in
those positions who really understand their jobs and who are
willing to work with a full sense of responsibility. Wismoyo and
other generals like him must be honorable enough to admit their
failure and resign.
Putting the blame on a lack of financing is a cliche. Since
the economic crisis hit the country in mid-1997, sports officials
seem to have found this to be a convenient scapegoat for their
failures. Moreover, KONI has received financial aid from state
enterprises and private companies to overcome the financial
shortfalls, although, to be fair, the money does always seem to
come at last minute just prior to the athletes' departure for
important events.
KONI and the sports organizations it oversees must work hand-
in-hand with the Ministry of National Education to locate and
train talented young athletes nationwide. Training must be
started at a very early age and should be supported by the
youths' families. Sadly, sports facilities for the public are
becoming increasingly rare in Indonesia.
International-standard sports venues are found only in big
cities such as Jakarta and Surabaya. Other provincial capitals
still do not make providing such facilities for the public a
priority. Schools, which are at the grassroots of sports
development, very rarely have sports equipment or grounds for
their students. Small wonder that locating sporting talent at the
schools is so difficult. Another factor is that physical
education is being neglected. In some schools, this subject is
taught by teachers who do not have the proper background.
Apart from the lack of facilities and poor development
planning, athletes in Indonesia are second-class citizens.
Compared to countries such as South Korea and China, Indonesian
athletes do not get the rewards they deserve.
KONI and the private business sector have provided cash
bonuses for champions, but athletes need more. Jobs and lifetime
allowances -- not to mention equal rights for Indonesians of
Chinese descent -- would mean more for their future.
In the early 1990s, KONI and the then state minister of youth
affairs began a long-term program called Garuda Emas, whose
ultimate goal was to see Indonesia place in the top five at the
2006 Asian Games.
Should this long-term program be implemented properly and
consistently, with the joint cooperation of the government, the
private sector and the public, Indonesia could improve its
performance on the international sports stage. If that were to
happen, we could recapture that lost feeling of pride.