National Police chief yet to accept offer to lead PBVSI

JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo has yet to respond to the offer from the Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI) to chair the organization for the 2000 to 2004 term.

PBVSI vice chairman Sutardiono said on Tuesday a delegation of association officials would meet with Rusdihardjo on Friday to discuss the matter.

"We really hope that the police chief is willing to chair PBVSI to replace the current chairwoman, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana. But we'll know the answer on Friday," he said.

PBVSI was traditionally chaired by the National Police chief before Hardiyanti, better known as Tutut, became chairwoman in 1996.

"Bu Tutut declined to continue chairing the association due to the recent situation after her father, former president Soeharto, stepped down in 1998, and due to her tight schedule," Sutardiono said.

PBVSI is scheduled to hold a two-day national congress in Sentul, Bogor. The congress -- which will be attended by representatives from PBVSI's 26 provincial chapters -- will hear the chairman's accountability report, to which the 26 chapters will respond. Congress members will also arrange training programs for the 2000 to 2004 term and select a new chairman.

Sutardiono said new association officials must meet four requirements -- the ability to manage the sport on a national scale; they must be professionals in volleyball in order to arrange training programs; be able to raise funds and sell the sport on TV and on the courts; and the ability to develop the sport in the country's schools.

"It's very important to have people who love volleyball and have the vision to make the sport marketable, particularly for TV coverage."

"It's also important to involve people from the Ministry of National Education to enable PBVSI to develop the sport in schools and recruit talented students for the national team," Sutardiono said.

He said PBVSI's new officials were expected to continue the annual Livoli national volleyball league and increase the frequency of national student and youth championships.

He also hoped the association's chapters could become financially independent in line with the new Law on Regional Autonomy.

"Usually they (provincial chapters) ask PBVSI to pay 50 percent of their expenses. Hopefully with the new law, the chapters can get sponsorships from local companies to finance their activities," he said. (yan)