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)