IANI claims it rebuffed offers by KONI
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After failing to push Sutiyoso into the chairmanship of the National Sports Council (KONI), the recently established National Athletes Association (IANI) announced here on Friday it had rejected an offer to join the executive board of KONI under chairman-elect Agum Gumelar.
IANI chairman Icuk Sugiarto said some of the association's officials had been contacted by the Team of Three, which is selecting KONI's new executive board.
"But we decided we won't join KONI. This is to dispel the rumors that IANI was founded as a mere political vehicle for personal interests," said the former badminton star during a media conference.
"Our aim is clear ... we want to help improve the welfare of fellow athletes," he said.
Icuk refused to say which IANI officials had been contacted by the Team of Three.
"It would be unethical to mention their names. The name of the official who made the contact is not important either. The point is that to help develop national sports does not necessarily entail joining KONI," he said.
However, Rita Subowo, a member of the Team of Three, denied any IANI officials had been contacted.
"That's not true. We never contacted (them)," Rita, who is also the chairwoman of the Volleyball Association of Indonesia (PBVSI), said when contacted by The Jakarta Post.
Asked if the contact might have been made by the other two members of the team, she said: "I don't think so. If they had I would have known."
The other two members of the Team of Three are KONI chairman- elect Agum Gumelar and South Sumatra Governor Rosihan Arsyad, who is also chairman of KONI's South Sumatra chapter.
The media conference on Friday also was attended by a number of IANI board officials, all former sports stars: Syamsul Anwar Harahap (boxing), Lukman Niode and Elvira Rosa Nasution (swimming), and Yayuk Basuki and Wailan Walalangi (tennis).
After being formally established on Feb. 13, IANI threw its weight behind Sutiyoso, the Jakarta governor, during the election for the KONI chairmanship.
Agum, who is also the transportation minister and the chairman of the national soccer body (PSSI), won the election, defeating Sutiyoso, former minister of industry and trade Luhut Binsar Panjaitan and then KONI deputy chairman Arie Sudewo.
Icuk said IANI's support for Sutiyoso had nothing behind it in terms of expected payback.
"We were not trying to gain anything with Sutiyoso, including being recruited to join KONI.
"So we want to stay away from the board under Pak Agum. We are not opportunists. But this does not mean we do not support Pak Agum. Let's work together to foster national sports," he said.
KONI is expected to announce its executive board next week.