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.