PSSI asked to pay SEA Games debt to AFC

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council ordered the All Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) yesterday to pay its US$58,384 debt from the 19th Southeast Asian Games organizers to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The general secretary of the national soccer body, Nugraha Besoes, said he accepted the decision after the sports council reminded him of an agreement between it and sports organizations on competition funding for the SEA Games.

"For the country's sake, we will carry out the order, although we don't know where we can get the money," Nugraha said after a meeting with council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar, who also chaired the Games organizing committee.

The AFC has threatened to move the second Tiger Cup from Jakarta if Indonesia fails to pay the debt by May 14.

Nugraha said that according to the agreement, the sports council would cover basic competition expenses in all 34 sports, but was not responsible for extra expenditure. The council gave the same amount of money to all sports organizations to run their competitions during the Games, a policy that seemed unfair to Nugraha.

Nugraha did not elaborate on how much each federation received from the council.

The AFC said the Games organizers owed $38,384 in referees' salaries, a $12,000 compulsory fee to the AFC, and an $8,000 fine for disturbances caused by Indonesian fans during the soccer competition at last year's event.

The organizers originally owed $90,000 to the AFC but have already reback $32,000.

Indonesia must win the Tiger Cup or else the sports council will not allow the team to compete in the 13th Asian Games to be held in Bangkok next December.

The biennial tournament, featuring eight Southeast Asian countries, is scheduled to be held here from Aug. 26 to Sept. 7. (emf)