Kurniawan named to SEA Games team

Kurniawan named to SEA Games team

JAKARTA (JP): Top striker Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto is on the
list of 20 booters selected for the 18th Southeast Asian Games in
Chiang Mai.

But the Indonesian League's top scorer, Perry Sandria (Bandung
Raya), and another six booters previously prepared for the Games
have been dropped from the list.

Among the six are Anwar Sanusi (Persib), Sugiantoro
(Persebaya), Rochmad (Pupuk Kaltim), Kekey Zakaria (Persib), and
Putut Wijanarko (Asyaabab Salim Grup).

The long-awaited decision may spark debates, but the list,
announced yesterday afternoon by the All-Indonesia Soccer
Federation (PSSI), is final.

Several Indonesian soccer world figures have raised objections
to the inclusion of Kurniawan, who is now playing for the Swiss
First Division League club, FC Lucerne.

One of them is PSSI's training director Bob Hippy. Hippy said
the inclusion is not fair. The other players had to struggle hard
in the Indonesian League's matches in order to be selected for
the Games. But Kurniawan faced no such trials.

Up to now, he has not been required to join the SEA Games-
bound team that PSSI has been preparing since April. He will be
required to join that team next month.

The team is a mixture of senior and junior players, who have
yet to achieve good teamwork, coach Andi Teguh said.

Kurniawan's late inclusion raises further concern about the
team's sense of solidarity.

Andi argued that every aspect -- individual skills, physical
fitness and adaptability in particular -- were considered prior
to arriving at the decision.

"This decision does not necessarily mean that those who are
not selected do not have good skills. In fact, they are good. But
we have to short list them anyway," Andi said.

Limit

The Games' organizing committee limits the number of booters
to be sent to Chiang Mai to 18. This means that Andi still has to
take two booters off the list.

In response to the decision, Perry said he had anticipated it.
"In many tryouts, I was often put among the reserves. The
announcement does not surprise me."

Indonesia's SEA Games team will take on host Thailand on Dec.
4. It will be the first soccer match at the Games.

After several tryouts at home, the SEA Games team will face
another tryout round in Beijing from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10.

The 20 booters on the list:

Goalies: 1. Kurnia Sandi (Pelita Jaya/ ex-Primavera), 2. Sumardi
(PKT)

Defenders: 3. Aji Santoso (Persebaya), 4. Agung Setiabudi
(Arseto), 5. Jaya Hartono (ASG), 6. Suwandi HS (Petrokimia), 7.
Aples Tecuari (Pelita Jaya/ex-Primavera), 8. Yadi Mulyadi
(Persib), 9. Yudi Kuncahyo (PKT), and 10. Anang Ma'ruf
(Helsinborg Swedia/ex-Primavera)

Midfielders: 11. Eri Irianto (Petrokimia), 12. Bima Sakti
(Helsinborg Swedia/ex-Primavera), 13. Fahri Husaini (PKT), 14.
Ansyari Lubis (Pelita Jaya), 15. Iskandar Jalil (Harimau
Tapanuli), and 16. Chairil Anwar (ASG)

Strikers: 17. Widodo C.Putra (Petrokimia), 18. Buyung Ismu
(Pelita Jaya), 19. Indriyanto (Helsinborg Swedia/ex-Primavera)
and 20. Kurniawan (FC Lucerne Swiss/ex-Primavera)