PSSI concentrating on Tiger Cup, not Asian Games

JAKARTA (JP): The All Indonesian Soccer Federation (PSSI) is focusing on training the national team for the Tiger Cup here in September rather than the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December.

Nirwan Bakrie, the federation's director, said Sunday that whether the team would participate in the Asian Games or not would be considered after the Tiger Cup.

"We will decide whether to take part in the Asian Games after the Tiger Cup because our priority is the Tiger Cup. We have no plans to send our team to the Bangkok Games," Nirwan said during a breaking of the fast gathering Sunday.

Nirwan said the players would begin training in February for the Tiger Cup.

"The players will come from the SEA Games team."

Nirwan said the federation had yet to decide who would coach the team as it was still considering a proposal from Henk Wullems. Wullems has proposed that he be paid in U.S dollars, due to the current currency situation.

"We will hold a meeting on Feb. 5 with the local clubs. The meeting will also discuss sponsorship seeing the promoter (PT Cipta Citra Senindo) has withdrawn from the Indonesian league and will not submit a Rp 5.3 billion subsidy to the clubs," Nirwan said.

Referring to the promotion situation, Nirwan urged State Minister for Youth Affairs and Sport Hayono Isman to help owners of local clubs find funds.

"We are grateful that the minister asked the local clubs to develop soccer," Nirwan said as quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Weightlifting Association has said it will not insist on taking part in the Bangkok Games should the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI) not want it to send athletes.

Budi Santoso, the association's general affairs director, said yesterday that this statement was a response to President Soeharto's instruction that only sports with good medal prospects were to go to the Games.

Budi said the association had prepared 12 weightlifters for the Asian Games but if KONI wanted to restrict their number to four, it would send only four.

"We will abide by KONI rules. We will be ready with our athletes if suddenly KONI wants to send weightlifters to the Asian Games," he said.

Adolf Warouw, KONI's secretary-general, said he thought weightlifters had the potential to capture gold medals at the Asian Games.

"Of the 21 sports KONI chairman Wismoyo Arismundar suggested, eight are more likely to grab gold medals. Badminton, weightlifting and windsurfing are among them." he said. (lnt)