PSSI delays 2002 national soccer league group division
Musthofid and Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indecisiveness on the part of Persijatim and Pelita has delayed the announcement of the grouping of clubs that are to take part in the 2002 season of the Indonesian soccer league.
PSSI, the country's soccer governing body, held a meeting here on Monday but failed to announce the groupings as both Persijatim and Pelita had yet to clarify their wish to change their home grounds.
Persijatim, which is based in Jakarta, has been looking to move to Surakarta in Central Java. However, the club has registered its old grounds with PSSI, pending an endorsement from the Central Java soccer administration.
"We will hold a meeting with representatives from Persijatim and the Central Java soccer administration tomorrow," Tri Goestoro, PSSI secretary general, told reporters after the meeting.
Likewise, Pelita is likely to shift their home ground from Surakarta to Cilegon, in Banten, where the club will merge with local company Krakatau Steel.
But club officials have yet to clarify whether they will proceed with their plan.
"With a view to heeding the wishes of participants, we are resolved to let Persijatim and Pelita decide their bases," Tri said.
"We will be able to decide this week. I personally told the chief in charge of administrative affairs (Tondo Widodo) to deal with the issue in two days," he said.
Persijatim's move to shift its home base is believed to be an effort to part with its cross-town rival and defending champion Persija, who share the same home ground, though Persijatim's supporters are regularly outnumbered.
A similar attempt is also being pursued by Persema Malang in East Java. The club had not sought a new base but wanted to be in different group from its city rival Arema, which is more popular among city residents.
But PSSI rejected the proposal, saying that it could set a bad precedent.
"If I bow to the demand, others would probably request the same treatment," said Tri, who is the interim spokesman in place of Eddi Elison.
Monday's meeting also decided to give the clubs options to look for their own sponsorship.
Meanwhile, league runner-up PSM Makassar said that it had registered 23 players for the next season, which will kick off on Jan. 13.
"We have officially registered 23 players with PSSI," club secretary Azhari Sirajuddin told The Jakarta Post in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Among the squad's members are Ariel Guiterrez and Rodrigo Araya from Chile and Cameroon's Yoseph Lewono.
PSM has also brought in goalkeeper Sahari Gultom from PSMS Medan to replace Hendro Kartiko, who has signed with new outfit PSPS Pakanbaru in a mass move that also saw the departure of other key PSM players Kurniawan Julianto and Bima Sakti.
Other old guards who have left PSM include Sunar Sulaiman and Isnan Ali, who both now play for South Kalimantan-based Barito Putra Banjarmasin.