National sports struggle to survive economic crisis
By Dwiatmanta
JAKARTA (JP): A self-fulfilled medal target at the Asian Games in Bangkok allowed Indonesian sports to breathe a sigh of relief, at least for the moment.
Despite the fact that Indonesia's preparations for the continent's major event were plagued by a hard-hitting recession and security concerns, national athletes brought home six gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze medals.
An initial proposal suggested that the cash-strapped National Sports Council (KONI) should take no more than 70 of the most prospective medal-winning athletes to Bangkok. But as financial aid poured in, and as the economic strain seemed to lessen, KONI listed 128 sportsmen and sportswomen for the Games.
Controversy sparked the selection process, with KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar insisting on allowing the national soccer and equestrian teams on going only because their respective organizations were willing to cover their travel expenses.
The soccer team eventually got the ax, following its disgraceful showing at the Tiger Cup in Vietnam in September, when national defender Mursyid Effendy shot an intentional own goal to give his side a desirable loss to Thailand. The Surabaya- based player was handed a life-time ban by the Asian Football Confederation.
Despite the economic crisis, some sports organizations managed to send their Asiad-bound athletes abroad for trials in a bid to boost their performances to the fittest level, in line with the demanding standards of competition. And Wismoyo provided incentive by offering cash bonuses to the medal-winning hopefuls.
Indonesia had to wait a week after the Games opener on Dec. 6 for its first gold medal. Hendrawan led the new-look national men's badminton team past archrival China 4-0, giving Indonesia a back-to-back victory at the Asiad.
Of the five other Indonesian gold medalists, two came in as unlikely winners. Underdog Supriati Sutono clinched the women's 5,000-meter title with a last-ditch sprint, and Arief Taufan Syamsuddin, competing in the men's 60kg class, won gold while his team expected to collect the laurels from woman's karateka Nilawati Daud.
Supriati's glorious run ended Indonesia's 36-year wait for a track and field gold medal at the Asiad. Mohammad Sarengat earned the country two golds in 100m and 110m hurdles at the 4th Asian Games here in 1962.
Ironically, only Sarengat and Mochamad Hindarto, Indonesia's secretary and chef de mission respectively, witnessed Supriati notch up the historic win. Other top Indonesian officials had opted to watch the beach volleyball competition in Pattaya, south of Bangkok.
Farewell
The just-concluded Asian Games also marked a happy farewell for Indonesia's tennis queen Yayuk Basuki. Smarting from a defeat in the team event, Yayuk defied the odds to take the singles crown. She beat the tournament's top two seeds in the process.
With Yayuk already setting a January 1999 date for her retirement, Indonesia looks set to disappear from the world tennis map for a while.
In Yayuk's absence, the Indonesian Fed Cup team stayed in the Asia Oceania qualifying group one but could not match the continent's prodigies. Yayuk was the instrumental force that propelled Indonesia to the world's top 16 in the past.
The fate of Indonesia's Davis Cup team, the men's equivalent tournament of the Fed Cup, proved even worse. A 5-0 drubbing by China in September sent Indonesia to tennis wilderness for the first time ever. Andrian Raturandang and company will have to fight for a place in the Asia Oceania qualifying group next season.
Indonesian badminton suffered a blow with a finding that world men's doubles champion Sigit Budiarto failed a dope test in the Singapore Open, which he won with Candra Wijaya in August.
Sigit, claiming that he unintentionally took nandrolone anabolic steroids, was sentenced for one year by the International Badminton Federation following a hearing in November.
The punishment was 12 months lighter than the maximum sentence for a player who violates the IBF antidoping rules. Sigit was the third Indonesian to be involved in a drug scam after men's singles Hastomo Arbi in 1984, and women's singles Minarti Timur in 1991.
But badminton, again, salvaged Indonesia's pride this year when in May, Hariyanto Arbi and companions stretched their Thomas Cup men's team championship supremacy for the third consecutive time. They beat Malaysia 3-2, after going to an unassailable 3-1 lead in the final in Hong Kong.
Their female compatriots, led by a former Olympic champion, fell in the last hurdle at the hands of star-studded China 1-4. The defeat stopped cold a unique triple double attempted by Indonesia, which won both trophies in 1994 and 1996.
Thomas Cup victory was overshadowed by political turmoil at home, when former president Soeharto ended his 32-year reign following student demonstrations and rioting that left over 500 people dead.
Indonesian shuttlers had left for Hong Kong with Soeharto's blessing. But when they returned home, a new president, B.J. Habibie, gave them a stately welcome.
Security uncertainty which preceded and succeeded the transfer of power adversely affected sports activities in the country. The Indonesian soccer league was the first to fall victim when the national soccer federation prematurely stopped it in May, leaving the tournament without a champion.
The federation's new chairman, Agum Gumelar, who took over from Azwar Anas, who resigned following the shameful behavior during the Tiger Cup, reinstated the league on Oct. 28 amid a sponsorship row.
In July, the Women's Tennis Association, the governing body of women's professional tennis, cited security concerns for its decision to drop two annual tournaments -- the Indonesia Open and the Wismilak Open -- in the country.
Automotive sports were another notable victim due to security concerns. All events were sanctioned by the international automotive federation (FIA), most notably the Rally of Indonesia, one of the world championship stops. The FIA even failed to list the used-to-be annual event in its 1999 calendar.
The Indonesia Grand Prix world motorcycling championship was also canceled, with Malaysia coming in as a late replacement to host the race.
Indonesia's Asian Omega Tour golf tournament, the US$300,000 Tugu Pratama, also missed the cut this year after its organizers fell short of funds to provide the prize money. The golf tourney used to take place in November.
The Indonesia Open badminton championships were lucky to escape the scythe. The tournament suffered only a four-month delay from the original schedule of July. Organizers also reduced the prize money from $200,000 to $125,000, which automatically dropped the tournament's ranking.
Indonesian shuttlers romped home with all but the men's singles title. That prestigious crown went to Yong Hock Kin, the first Malaysian ever to win a tournament on Indonesian soil.