PSSI finds it hard to set up a women's soccer team

PSSI finds it hard to set up a women's soccer team

JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI)'s
women's soccer team manager, Poppy Salim, expressed difficulty in
finding new talents for the national team.

"It's difficult to find a woman who wants to play soccer. We
have many women soccer clubs but PSSI can't monitor their
trainings. These clubs are also facing financial problems," she
said on Saturday, on the sidelines of the 2001 women's soccer
invitational at the AS-IOP and PASI soccer fields at Bung Karno
sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Poppy, a former national player in the early 1970s, said that
at a certain point, a woman would have to choose between a soccer
career and a family life.

"A player, who is also a mother, competing in this
invitational said she used to be worried that nobody was taking
care of her children at home while she was training for this
event," she said, without naming the player.

Poppy also said PSSI was not pressuring her to set up a
national team for the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in
September.

"Hopefully, the women's team can perform in the SEA Games. We
are trying to select players from other provinces like Kendari in
Southeast Sulawesi and Irian Jaya.

"If everything goes according to plan, we'll start the
training program in March. But if we can't make a team, we have
to skip the Games."

Linda Agum Gumelar, chairwoman of the Union of Wives of PSSI
officials (ISIP-PSSI) and the organizing committee's chairperson,
said the idea of a women's tournament came after PSSI received
many letters calling it to stage a women's match.

"Many PSSI provincial chapters which has women teams can't
develop as there are no matches available to sharpen their
skills. East Java itself has 13 clubs," said Linda, who is also
the wife of PSSI chairman Agum Gumelar.

"I hope the invitational event can be a starting point for
clubs to increase their competitiveness. If we don't start today,
we'll never go anywhere. So we are kicking off this event
although we realize that the teams are still not in their best
form."

She also hoped the event could be staged annually.

The difficulty in seeking new talents for women's soccer was
obvious at the event as Buana Putri fielded its 50-year-old
striker Katrina Muhardi. The team was the 1980 champion of the
semipro women's league Galanita.

However, some young girls have shown their interest in
competing at the event as did 16-year-old Eka and Windy,
midfielder and striker respectively, from Putri Mataram,
Yogyakarta.

Buana Putri crushed Putri Jatim 7-1 in the Group A
prequalifying round. Thirty-year-old striker Yakso Bukor Propen
contributed six of seven goals for her team in the 12th, 25th,
34th, 54th, 67th and 71th minutes. Another striker Paima
Hutabarat, 43, sealed the team's victory in the 82th minute. Siti
Sumarni made a consolation goal for East Java team in the 32th
minute.

In another match, Putri Bangka outclassed Putri Mojolaban of
Central Java 3-1, Putri Mataram of Yogyakarta beat Putri Belitung
1-0 and State University of Jakarta (UNJ) team drew 2-2 with
Putri Priangan of Bandung, West Java. (ivy)