KONI still needs financial aid from govt

KONI still needs financial aid from govt

JAKARTA (JP): The government will maintain its financial
assistance to the National Sports Council (KONI) regardless of
its independent status and the inception of regional autonomy,
Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi Soedirdja
said on Tuesday.

Speaking in his address to sports executives attending KONI's
annual congress, Surjadi said the central government shouldered a
responsibility to develop national sports, as stipulated in
Government Regulation No. 25/2000.

Article 2 of the regulation states that the central government
is obliged to support local governments to construct sports
facilities, encourage the sports community and help KONI decide
on the standards of sports competed at national and international
levels.

"I think it remains relevant for the government and the whole
community to support the development of national sports, which in
the past was funded through a special fund allocated to provinces
under the Presidential Instruction for the Golden Garuda
project," he said.

The project is expected to place Indonesia sixth in the medal
standings at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar.

Soerjadi said further regional autonomy, which took effect on
Jan. 1, would not hamper the development of national sports
because local governments could use a portion of the Rp 5 billion
provincial allocation fund to improve their region's sports
achievements.

"The local authorities can consider the presence of sports
organization in their areas through the provincial and regency-
level sports body. The sports development and the Golden Garuda
project are still relevant and worth supporting as part of the
improvement of human resources," Surjadi said.

He asserted that local governments' commitment to promoting
national sports would strengthen national unity and improve
Indonesia's image in the international forum," he said.

He asked the local authority to cooperate with provincial and
regency-level sports bodies and the city council.

KONI deputy chairman Arie Sudewo welcomed the government's
pledge of assistance. He warned, however, that each province or
regency would not be able to disburse sports funds that quickly.

"Each local sports body must communicate and interact fairly
with the local authority," he said on the sidelines of the
congress on Tuesday.

He said the provincial and regency sports council could seek
its own sponsorship but they should coordinate with local sports
organization and clubs.

According to him, KONI and the national sports community need
a law to ensure shared authority and a shared budget and to
define the roles of the provincial and regency sports body and
the provincial and regency sports branches.

The deliberation of the new sports bill is underway and Arie
said that KONI needs more advice from its branches and the sports
organizations during its plenary session.

Unlike its sports patron, the Badminton Association of
Indonesia (PBSI) has carried on its decentralized training
program in some provinces to net prospective shuttlers.

PBSI executive chairman Karsono said that the current training
organization would not undergo major changes. "The PBSI system is
capable of improving a shuttler's achievement. We have also
developed a good competition system."

He said to reduce dependency on its central office, some clubs
in certain provinces have also initiated cooperation with private
companies, like Medan, North Sumatra (Prima Bank), Yogyakarta
(Haga Bank), East Java (Surya Naga, Aqua), Jakarta (Jaya Raya and
Tangkas) and Central Java (Djarum).

In the near future, he said that any regional branches could
send their shuttlers to international tournaments without
necessarily having attended a series of training sessions at the
Indonesian Badminton Center in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

"It's also possible for the provincial and regency branches of
the PBSI to organize their own training center. But many
shuttlers still want to attend training in Cipayung," he said.

Other sports which fail to, or are unable, to produce
consistent achievements will still be able to rely on financial
aid issued from central office or provincial authority.

"The Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) used to allocate
its budget to its provincial branches, but it's now difficult to
seek sponsorship. The PRSI branches now rely heavily on the
provincial sports council. The council will seek money, but they
should concentrate on the potential sports in their areas," said
Dadeng Kurnia, PRSI's vice secretary general.(ivy)