KONI considers age limit for PON

KONI considers age limit for PON

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The National Sport Council (KONI) is considering an age limit
for the National Games (PON) in response to criticism that young
athletes are being shut out of the quadrennial sporting showcase.

KONI secretary-general Djohar Arifin said on Wednesday the
issue of an age limit for PON would be discussed during a meeting
in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, next February.

"There have been requests from our provincial chapters to
discuss the issue," Djohar said.

Hans-Peter Thumm, an athletic consultant in an Indonesia-
Germany cooperative project, has said that young athletes were
generally deprived of the opportunity to compete at the recently
ended PON in Palembang, South Sumatra, because of the presence of
so many older athletes.

He also criticized the event for becoming a dubious "market"
for aging athletes who were lured into competing for a province
with promises of huge cash bonuses.

"While there is a lack of competition in nearly every sport in
Indonesia, PON has become a lost chance for juniors to display
their potential," Thumm said in an interview with The Jakarta
Post last week.

He suggested that if PON wanted to make a real contribution to
sports development, the event should be limited to athletes under
the age of 21.

Swimmer Richard Sam Bera, 33, judoka Krisna Bayu, 28, and
gymnast Jonathan Sianturi, 33, were among the older athletes
featured at the Palembang PON, where Jakarta's sporting
contingent emerged with the most medals.

While the three proved they can still compete by winning two
gold medals each in their respective sports, their inclusion in
the event was seen by some of robbing younger athletes of the
chance to compete.

Djohar said aging athletes accounted for 40 percent of the
about 6,500 athletes who competed in 41 sports in Palembang,
adding that KONI would be looking to reduce that number.

"The idea of limiting the age of athletes in PON is a good
one, as provincial administrations would then have to focus more
on the development of young athletes," he said.

"Soccer and basketball organizations have implemented
regulations that only allow players under the age of 23 to play
compete in PON. Other sport organizations should dare to follow
suit," Djohar said.

The scheme, if implemented, would also be expected to prevent
athletes from hiring out their services to provincial
administrations looking to snap up as many medals as possible.

Krisna Bayu is an example of an athlete changing allegations
easily. Before competing for South Sumatra in this most recent
PON, Krisna competed for Central Java and West Java.

While applauding the idea of an age limit, senior sports
observer M.F. Siregar said it was a "challenge that KONI must
handle in the future".

He said the necessity of an age limit was more urgent in
swimming, gymnastics, and track and field, which traditionally
account for the bulk of the medals in multisports events.

KONI, according to Djohar, is also considering the possibility
of holding the National Games every two years and reducing the
number of sports.

The next PON is scheduled to be held in East Kalimantan in
2008.