Indonesia drops bid to compete in Asiad soccer

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's soccer team will not compete in December's Asian Games in Bangkok so that it can start regenerating its program instead, a top sports official said on Friday.

National Sports Council deputy chairman Arie Sudewo said the decision was taken following Indonesia's unsportsmanlike conduct and defeat in the semifinals in the Tiger Cup now underway in Vietnam.

"The All-Indonesian Soccer Federation must not think of sending a team to the Asian Games. They are definitely out of our Asiad-bound squad," Arie said.

"It's better for the federation to consider grooming young players for the 1999 Southeast Asian Games in Brunei."

Indonesia netted an intentional own goal in its group match against Thailand on Monday to avoid having to play host Vietnam in the semifinals. The controversial tactic worked, but Singapore dashed Indonesia's hopes of reaching the final with a 2-1 win on Thursday's semifinal.

Disgraced Indonesia and Thailand were fined US$40,000 each by the ASEAN Football Federation on Friday for their unsportsmanlike conduct.

The sports council had considered to let Rusdy Bahalwan's team go to Bangkok if it had won the Tiger Cup or at least lost in the tournament's final by a close margin.

Separately, State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono said he had reconsidered giving the national soccer team a cash bonus after the shameful showing.

"Do they deserve such a bonus after they breached sportsmanship standards and fair play? People will condemn me if I insist on giving them the bonus," he said.

Both Arie and Agung said the defeat to Singapore was the price Indonesia had to pay for trying not to win over Thailand in the previous match.

"Guilty feelings caused them to perform badly in the semifinals," Arie said.

Agung said Indonesia had underestimated Singapore.

"The decision to avoid Vietnam and choose Singapore proved to boomerang against Indonesia," he said.

But Agung opposed the council's stick and carrot policy to be applied to sports organizations whose athletes will form the national team for the Asiad.

Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar has said sports organizations whose athletes failed to contribute medals in the Asiad would have to reimburse the council's costs in sending them to Bangkok. On the other hand, he said the council would repay a sport organization's expenditures if its athletes won medals.

"The policy will motivate athletes and sports organizations to work hard in the Asiad, but a fine punishment looks too much," Agung said.

National tennis team manager Benny Mailili and the Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Body Building Association's secretary-general, Djoko Pramono, were also against the policy, branding it as uneducated.

Arie said the policy came as a response to the council's lack of funds. He added that all sports organizations had approved it during an internal meeting last week.

"This is not a one-sided policy. We have unanimously endorsed it, so I don't understand why some of us have reopened a debate on the matter," he said. (yan)