PSSI needs organizational, not political skills: Secretary

Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) needs their newly recruited political figures for their organizational skills, not their political background, the organization's secretary-general has said.

"It's hard nowadays to find people with organizational skills, let alone those with a commitment to developing national football," newly appointed Secretary-General Nugraha Besoes told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Nugraha, who was a PSSI official about a decade ago, said the politicians were people with high organizational skills and proven management records.

However, he admitted that it was to be expected that some people would question the new politicians' capabilities in developing national football.

"No matter what, we will need to prove our performance to the public," he said.

The PSSI, under its new chairman Nurdin Halid, has announced the recruitment of a number of high-profile political figures into its organizational makeup.

Among the new PSSI executives are Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto as Advisory Council chairman, Agung Laksono (Golkar), Setya Novanto (Golkar), Oesman Sapta (deputy spokesman for the People's Consultative Assembly), Roy BB Janis (PDI Perjuangan), Taufiqqurahman Saleh (PKB) and Tjahjo Kumolo (PDI Perjuangan).

The PSSI has also recruited Golkar youth leader Idrus Marham as head of its Human Resources Department, and former PDI Perjuangan politician Haryanto Taslam as head of the Sportsmanship Department.

The PSSI's organizational structure consists of 45 daily caretakers, 17 advisory council members, 19 expert council members and nine professionals.

The first challenge for the new PSSI will be the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December in Vietnam.

At home, the PSSI has been busy deciding upon whether to send the women's national team to the SEA Games, as the team had poor performance.

Nugraha said the PSSI and the National Sports Council (KONI) had decided to send them anyway, with a target to place at least in the top four.

"Despite their recent performance, we will send the girls with a goal, and not just for their professional development," he said.

At the 2001 SEA Games in Malaysia, Indonesia placed fourth after losing to Myanmar. Vietnam took the gold, while Thailand took the silver.

Following the SEA Games, the next challenge for the PSSI would be the Indonesia League that starts in January, he said.