Indonesian referees urged to 'improve their morality'

Indonesian referees urged to 'improve their morality'

JAKARTA (JP): With a salary hike as the carrot and potentially
severe punishment as the stick, the chairman of the All Indonesia
Soccer Association (PSSI), Azwar Anas, is urging Indonesian
referees and match inspectors to "improve their morality".

"I hope you will steadily improve your morality so that the
quality of your game administering wiil gradually get better,"
Azwar told a pack of referees and match inspectors at PSSI
headquarters in Senayan on Saturday.

To improve referee discipline, PSSI "has raised their salaries
in the hope that they will no longer make a breach in the games
they administer," Azwar was quoted by Antara as saying.

However, the national news agency does not specify what Azwar
meant by "making a breach." It reported Azwar as saying that
during the two-month old Indonesian League competition, "we have
caught 10 referees, three of whom were dismissed while the other
seven were demoted to linesmen." Antara also did not give the
reasons why the 10 referees were reprimanded.

"Formerly, referees were paid Rp 25,000 (US$11.3) per game,
which was then raised to Rp 65,000 per game. Now, with the birth
of the Indonesian League, referees can count on taking home at
least Rp 350,000 ($158.3) per game," Azwar elaborated.

In addition, referees are also entitled to insurance coverage,
said Azwar, who is also Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare.

"Thus, they should not worry too much if an accident happens
to them while administering a game," he added. (arf)