National soccer body told to shape up
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto urged the All-Indonesia Football Association to learn from established soccer countries in its bid to raise the standard of soccer in Indonesia.
Speaking after receiving the Golden Ball award to commemorate the association's 66th anniversary, Soeharto said that Indonesia has no other choice but to emulate soccer powerhouses in order to catch up to them.
"We have nearly 200 million people, is it that difficult to pick 11 people with great soccer talent?" Soeharto asked in his impromptu speech at the State Palace yesterday. "A country with just 17 million people can do it. Why can't we?"
The award, named Adiraga Tulada, was presented by 86-year-old EE Mangindaan, a founding father of the national soccer league, in a ceremony attended by a number of cabinet ministers.
Chairman of the national soccer body, Azwar Anas, said that Soeharto deserved the award because of his concern for soccer development.
Soeharto, a soccer enthusiast when he was a boy, joined the Army's soccer team and later, as a regimental commander, was vice chairman of the Surakarta soccer club, Persis, from 1953 to 1956 in Central Java. Persis once won a record six straight intercity championship titles between 1939 and 1948.
Soeharto's only surviving colleague in Persis, Ali Gani, was also present at the ceremony.
Recollecting Indonesia's soccer heyday, Soeharto slapped the knuckles of the country's oldest sport association.
"Our performance drew worldwide admiration in 1956. Now when we enjoy a better economic lot we fail to form a strong national team," Soeharto said.
Soeharto suggested that the association groom three national teams of 18 players.
"It will take time and cost us a lot of money, but we have to do it if we are to regain our supremacy," he said.
New director
Earlier on Thursday, the Dutch duo of Bert van Lingen and Arno Pijpers signed a consulting deal with the Indonesian soccer body.
Van Lingen, the former assistant to Dutch national team coaches Rinus Mitchel and Dick Advocaat, was named the technical director of the Indonesian team. He will earn 400,000 guilders (US$290,000) a year, twice Pijpers' salary.
The Dutch duo are to formulate a long-term program for Indonesian coaches. One technical director will help the soccer body form a junior team.
Van Lingen, who is also an assistant to Dutch coach Guus Hiddink for the upcoming European Cup championships in England this June, beat the other candidates Romano Matte of Italy and Burkhard Pape of Germany.
Pijpers once coached PSV Eindhoven junior and Feyenoord junior, two top Dutch clubs. (05/amd)