KONI still unsure about its future

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council (KONI) vice chairman Arie Sudewo said on Tuesday that the council might be under the supervision of a special directorate general of the Ministry of National Education.

"We have been informed that there will be a special directorate general on sports development. But this has yet to be finalized," he told reporters after meeting with representatives from the ministry's Directorate General of Informal Education and Sports, the State Ministry for Administrative Reform and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy.

Arie said KONI would remain a non-governmental organization and would not be under direct control of the ministry.

"The policy on sports development will be set up by the government and the legislators in the State Guidelines. We will only carry on what has been endorsed. The relationship between the government and the council is based on partnership and not on echelon," he said.

But he admitted that the council still needed financial support from the government.

He also said that KONI would be responsible for the people. "We will also make an accountability report on any multi sports event that we participate in."

President Abdurrahman Wahid dissolved the office of the state minister of youth affairs and sports during the Cabinet reshuffle last month.

Gus Dur, as the President is known, said later that KONI would be responsible for national sports development, thus he ended years of overlapping roles by the council and the now defunct office of the state minister.

Arie said KONI would need a structural change in its organization in a bid to empower the council.

"KONI may need structural adjustment. It needs professional management," he said, adding that an adjustment did not necessarily mean a reshuffle.

"There will be no dismissals or replacements. We can adjust the structure if we find out that an official is not the right person for a certain job," he said.

Arie said the council and related ministries and institutions would have to share four tasks to develop amateur and professional sports, sports in schools, traditional sports and community sports.

"We have to share our jobs. But we can't decide this right now. We are still considering whether KONI will supervise all kinds of sports development or if it will only be responsible for amateur and professional sports development," he said.

KONI will gather opinions from sports organizations, sports experts and the sports community before reaching a decision on what form the council will take after the closing of the state minister's office.

Arie said he had not received any information about organizations which were set up to develop sports. So far, the government recognized KONI as the only body to supervise amateur sports organizations. (ivy)