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)