PBSI told to avoid conflict in congress

PBSI told to avoid conflict in congress

JAKARTA (JP): A former chairman of the Badminton Association
of Indonesia, Vice President Try Sutrisno, yesterday urged
participants at the association's forthcoming national congress
not to exaggerate any conflict when electing their new chairman.

Try, who is chairman of the association's board of patrons,
said that the participants must put unity and harmony above all
else in the congress, which will take place here from Nov. 29 to
Dec. 1.

"If a nominee comes from a club or an association's provincial
branch, it doesn't mean he represents the club or the branch.
When they are elected as the new chairman, they will represent
Indonesia's badminton interests," Try said, as quoted by former
association secretary-general and sports expert Mangombar
Ferdinand Siregar.

Try called on Siregar to calm participants who had been
publicly nominating Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo, the Army's deputy chief
of staff, and businessman Aburizal Bakrie, who is also a former
association official, for the chairmanship.

"Pak Try said that the participants will have to combine both
people's strength to improve the future development of badminton
instead of having them confront each other in the nomination
process," Siregar said.

"The congress participants must be able to see someone's
capability before asking him to professionally manage the
association," he added.

"The participants must find professional people, who want to
work all out and want to understand our athletes' problems on and
off the court. Officials must prepare the solutions before our
athletes even ask for help."

Siregar said the association must concentrate more on its
athletes' development program to face the tough challenges of the
13th Asian Games next December in Bangkok and the 2000 Olympic
Games in Sydney.

"Pak Try said the congress will reflect the association's
image in managing the sport, whether its officials have managed
it well or not," he said.

"The congress will also have to discuss its role in spreading
badminton and motivating students to become interested in the
sport. We have to make videotapes of our champions' skills and
movements so the students and the beginners can learn from them,"
he said.

Siregar said the board of patrons would give their ideas and
about badminton development programs to the participants during
the congress. (yan)