Private sector slow in helping sports program
Private sector slow in helping sports program
JAKARTA (JP): The business sector has yet to use its strength
to help the national sports program reach an internationally
acceptable level, a sport official said yesterday.
Nugraha Besoes, secretary-general of the Indonesian Soccer
Association, criticized domestic companies for only spending
money on certain popular sports, regardless of Indonesia's poor
international record in those areas.
"The business sector helps soccer, for instance, but stays out
of rowing which always shines in international competitions,"
Nugraha told a seminar on sports business organized by the
National Sports Council and Eshaem Enterprise yesterday.
Nugraha said that even if the national soccer team routinely
flops in international events, the All-Indonesia Football
Association has never found it difficult to get sponsors.
The professional soccer league now underway is sponsored by
giant cigarette company Dunhill International.
"The Indonesian Rowing Association is experiencing the
opposite and having to use its own money to develop the sport,"
Nugraha said.
Nugraha said that business and sports can form an ideal
partnership if they help athletes perform better, which in turn
will make it easier to get sponsors.
"Its hard to get companies to understand this. The role of
financial backer given to big companies has almost been forced on
them," said Nugraha.
Only a few entrepreneurs in the country are willing to
contribute some of their profits to sports development. When they
do, Nugraha said, their contributions always go to their favorite
sports.
He praised a move initiated by the national sports council
which requires businesses to sponsor all sport organizations
under its auspices.
"The dependency will hopefully be short term and not distract
the sports organizations from developing their athletes," he
said.
The council and a group of businesspeople led by Sudono Salim
and Sudwikatmono agreed in February to provide funds for the
council's sporting activities.
Earlier, Fritz Simanjuntak, a sports council official in
charge of budgetary planning, said that the sports business in
Indonesia is weak and that the officials in charge tend to occupy
the spotlight.
"It's common here if officials of a sport organization are
more famous than their athletes," he said.
Simanjuntak said that Indonesian businesspeople should see
athletes positive means of representing their products.
"People will come to watch their idols, not just the match,"
he said. (05)