KONI still unsure about its future
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)