No Tiger Cup, no Asiad for RI
No Tiger Cup, no Asiad for RI
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Hayono Isman told the All Indonesian Soccer Federation yesterday
that the country's national team had to win the second Tiger
ASEAN Cup championship if it wanted to compete at the 13th Asian
Games in Bangkok in December.
"There's an understanding that the national soccer team must
win the Tiger Cup. If it fails, the association agrees not to
field the team at the Asiad. I hope the National Sports Council
will also agree with this," said Hayono after a meeting with the
association's secretary-general Nugraha Besoes yesterday.
"This is the association's effort to assure the people that
the national team deserves a chance to compete at the Asiad. If
it wins the Tiger Cup, the government and the public will support
the team," Hayono said.
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are automatically in
the main draw while Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar,
Cambodia, Brunei Darussalam and Laos will have to qualify for the
championship here in September.
Nugraha told reporters: "The national team will concentrate on
competing at the championship to gain public support. The
association must also work hard to stage the event based on our
experience during the 19th SEA Games."
" We'll discuss with security officers our procedures
regarding staging soccer matches at the Senayan main stadium. Pak
Hayono also urged us to pay attention to the referees, especially
their allowance."
Nugraha said the association planned to send the team to two
events only this year; the Tiger Cup and the Asiad.
Hayono also expressed satisfaction that the association wanted
to cancel its plan to have 18 tryout matches in Asia and Europe.
"The association agrees to have the tryouts here. If the team
has the tryouts abroad, although with its own money, the public
can't enjoy their team's performances. We must also consider the
rupiah's recent downturn," he said.
The association had planned to tour to Saudi Arabia, China,
Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
However, Nugraha declined to mention the budget needed for the
tryouts saying that "it's still being calculated."
The council has divided the 22 sports into three categories
based on their chances of winning medals at the Asiad. The first
comprises badminton, boxing, karate, tae kwon do, tennis (if
world ranked 20 Yayuk Basuki plays), weightlifting and
windsurfing. Beach volleyball, canoeing, fencing, rowing, sepak
takraw, swimming, wrestling and wushu make up the second group
while cycling, equestrian, gymnastics, indoor volleyball, judo,
shooting, soccer and track and field are in the third category.
Soccer is grouped with sports that need to intensify long-term
training in order to have a chance of winning medals.
Nugraha said the association had its work cut out staging
friendlies due to the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) ban on
staging matches at the Senayan main stadium.
The AFC imposed the ban after chaos during the SEA Games final
between host Indonesia and Thailand.
"The association must stage the tryouts outside Jakarta,
probably in Surabaya and Medan, North Sumatra. The ban will end
in May," Nugraha said.
Hayono said the government expected the Indonesian contingent
to increase the country's games ranking from its current 11th
place.
"Bearing this in mind, only potential bronze medalists or
better will compete at the Asiad," he said.
Hayono expressed concern that the National Development
Planning Board might cancel its intention to provide Rp 2 billion
(US$222,000) to finance the Asiad training if the economic
downturn continues.
"I met Pak Ginandjar (Kartasasmita, the planning board
chairman) this morning and he said it's impossible for the
council to get more than the Rp 2 billion."
"If the board cancels the Rp 2 billion budget, which will
hopefully be cashed in July, the council may not be able to send
the contingent to the Asiad." (yan)