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)