Local striker offered contract in Germany

JAKARTA (JP): German first division soccer club Borussia Munchengladbach is seeking to sign young Indonesian striker Bambang Pamungkas to its squad.

All-Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) chairman Agum Gumelar said on Wednesday he would allow 18-year-old Bambang to play in German's professional league.

"We warmly welcome the offer. We'll allow our players to join European leagues as long as the correct procedures are followed," he said.

Agum said the German club had not yet mentioned the amount of the transfer fee.

Bambang was invited to join the training at the national training center for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August. Agum said PSSI would announce which 25 players would be included on the SEA Games team next week.

Bambang is familiar to European soccer talent scouts. He was invited to tryouts held by Dutch first division club Roda Kerkrade earlier this year. The results of the tryout were never announced and Bambang was sent back to Indonesia.

He is now taking part in juniors competitions in Malaysia and Hong Kong with Indonesia's pre-Olympics team. The national team will arrive in South Korea to compete in the 2000 Olympics prequalification tournament on May 26.

Bambang, a third-year high school student in Salatiga, Central Java, was groomed at the Salatiga training center. He played for local club Persikas in the Semarang regency.

Agum also said PSSI would hold a seminar on soccer competition in Indonesia.

The one-day seminar will take place on May 15 at Hotel Indonesia. National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar is expected to give the keynote speech.

Agum said he would speak at the seminar, along with managing editor of Kompas daily Suryopratomo and secretary-general of the Southeast Asia Football Federation Datuk Paul Mony.

He said he also expected soccer observer and North Sulawesi Governor Evert Ernest Mangindaan to address the seminar.

"We want to know the aspirations of local fans for the future of Indonesian soccer. We want to accommodate their views. We will consider all our decisions to be the will of the majority of soccer fans. PSSI will not make decisions on its own," he said.

Agum said the seminar would be free and soccer fans were invited to attend. (ivy)