PSSI needs organizational, not political skills: Secretary

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.