Golden ball to be given to Soeharto

Golden ball to be given to Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): The presentation of a golden ball to President Soeharto will cap the 66th anniversary celebration of the All- Indonesia Football Association next April.

Reelected chairman of the association, Azwar Anas, said yesterday that the country's surviving founding father of soccer, EE Mangindaan, will present the golden ball to the President at the State Palace on April 19, the birthday of the association.

Mangindaan, 85, will be accompanied by R. Maladi, 83, Indonesia's minister of sports from 1956 to 1966, during the presentation.

"Pak Harto has never missed anything about soccer. He even memorizes all the names of coaches," Azwar said after a meeting with Soeharto.

"I was surprised to know that Pak Harto is a former vice chairman of the Surakarta, Central Java-based soccer club Persis Solo," said Azwar.

Persis was the strongest team during the Dutch colonial years. It won a record eight intercity soccer championships held by the association, including six straight victories from 1939 to 1948.

The association is a merge of seven city clubs in Java. They merged in Surakarta in April 1930. Representatives of the seven clubs approved of the unification and named Suratin as the first chairman.

Azwar said he formally reported to Soeharto about the association's national congress last month which decided to give him another four years in office.

Azwar opted for a slimmer cabinet dominated by young figures. The reelected chairman reappointed Nugraha Besoes the secretary- general and maintained Nirwan Dermawan Bakrie in the technical post. Nirwan also chairs the national team forming body.

"In the next four years, we will focus on preparing a better competition format which we need to form a strong national team," Azwar said. (amd)