Officials welcome PSSI's plan for greater autonomy
Officials welcome PSSI's plan for greater autonomy
JAKARTA (JP): The All-Indonesian Soccer Federation's (PSSI)
proposal to give its 27 chapters throughout the country more
independence in raising funds and grooming young players was
hailed by the federation's provincial officials.
The Jakarta chapter's Abdul Kahfi and Hoetomo from the West
Java chapter said on Monday that by being given greater autonomy,
chapters could implement their own programs and would not have to
await instructions from PSSI.
However, both officials said chapters would face difficulty in
raising funds to finance tournaments and soccer clubs.
The proposal is scheduled to be ratified at the end of PSSI's
three-day national congress at Hotel Indonesia in Central
Jakarta. PSSI is also scheduled to change the name of provincial
commissariat (Komda) to provincial chapters.
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono
opened the congress on Monday, during which PSSI will endorse its
working plan for the 1999 to 2003 term. The congress, which is
usually held every five years, will hear the accountability
report of current federation chairman Agum Gumelar and elect a
new chairman.
Agung was accompanied at the congress by National Sports
Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar, Agum and his predecessor
Azwar Anas, who he succeeded in October last year.
Kahfi, who is also Jakarta deputy governor for administrative
affairs, expressed hope provincial chapters could establish
better relationships with clubs and federations.
"As a patron, Komda has yet to be totally accommodating to
input from chapters. It still can't arrange the optimal training
system.
"By being given autonomy, chapters must be more communicative
in discussing their problems before asking for help from PSSI,"
he said.
Hoetomo said his chapter now would be able to seek outside
financial support, something it needed because it never received
funds from PSSI.
"We represent PSSI in the provinces. We should have received
financial support, but PSSI only gave us training guidelines
without any funds. Ideally, training programs must also be
supported with the funding," he said.
However, he acknowledged it was not easy to secure the funding
to support a soccer club.
"It's our risk. If we don't have money, how can we stage
tournaments? Maybe we should find another solution. A soccer team
involves a great number of players, so it also needs a great
amount of money," he said.
Agung Laksono also welcomed the idea of giving greater freedom
to provincial PSSI chapters.
"I hope there will be autonomy for the chapters, so they can
stage more tournaments and also cooperate with foreign soccer
federations," he said. (ivy)