PSSI to host draw for 2002 Tiger Cup
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The draw for the upcoming Tiger Cup soccer tournament will be held at Shangri-La hotel on Saturday, according to a top official of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
The Tiger Cup is the biennial soccer tournament between Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia finished as runner-up to Thailand last time in Bangkok.
The 2002 season will certainly have a new look, as the event is scheduled to be staged in two countries: Indonesia and Singapore.
"We will start the draw at 3:30 p.m. We hope representatives from the participating countries will be present at the ceremony," PSSI secretary-general Tri Goestoro told a media conference here on Thursday.
Tri said president of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Dato' Ahmad Rithauddeen would be among the invitees.
The cohosts and defending champion, according to Tri, have been recommended to bring along their star players to the draw ceremony.
"Thailand will come to the draw with Kiatisuk Senamuang. Singapore will be here with Nazri Nasir and Mohammad Muzammil. Indonesia has yet to decide, but Bambang Pamungkas and Ilham Jayakusuma are the most likely choices," he said.
Bambang of Persija and Ilham of Persita won the best player title, respectively, in the 2001 and 2002 season of the Indonesian soccer league.
The tournament will feature nine of ASEAN's 10 nations. Brunei Darussalam is the only absentee. The participating countries are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, defending champion Thailand and Vietnam.
"Hopefully, we'll host five nations, so we'll have more matches to entertain soccer fans here," Tri said.
Tri also announced that Jakarta, with Bung Karno as its main stadium, would be the host city, and Lebak Bulus stadium in South Jakarta would be the alternative.
The announcement effectively canceled the initial plan to make Surakarta in Central Java, as an alternative to Jakarta.
"We would have had to do a lot to bring Surakarta's Manahan stadium up to AFF's standards," Tri said.
"The time has not come yet for Surakarta to host the event," he said. He was accompanied by PSSI's marketing chief Dali Taher.
The Tiger Cup will run from Dec. 15 through Dec. 29.
The official opening ceremony will take place in Jakarta when Indonesia holds its opening match.
Meanwhile, official of the national team Tondo Widodo said that the national squad, now coached by Bulgarian Ivan Kolev, would face the under-20 team in a friendly at the PSSI soccer pitch on Friday.