PSSI will select the best from East, West
PSSI will select the best from East, West
JAKARTA (JP): A national soccer team with players from the Indonesian league's West and East divisions will be prepared for the incoming South East Asian (SEA) Games.
"We will form two teams. One will be a group of the best booters from the West Division; the other filtered from the East Division," Hendro Sumaryo, secretary of the National Soccer Committee told reporters yesterday. Hendro met with top officials from the National Sports Council (KONI).
Representing the All Indonesia Soccer Association (PSSI), Hendro explained the progress of PSSI and their preparations for the Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from Dec. 9 to 17.
The two teams will then be sent abroad for several tryouts, he said, probably to take part in various soccer competitions in Australia between May and July.
Based on their performances during the try-outs, PSSI will then choose a nucleus team from the two groups. The names of those included on the main team will be announced by the end of July, Hendro said.
On Aug. 1, four months before the kick-off of the Games, the main squad is scheduled to start its centralized training programs, Hendro said.
Four months is enough for intensive grooming at home. Moreover, Hendro predicted, they can get the most out of possible scrimmages with the renowned Italian club, AC Milan, and the English club, Aston Villa.
Michael Linder of Football International has offered Indonesia visits by the two giant European clubs. Another party, Edi Sofyan, has also offered PSSI visits from AC Milan and another Italian club, Genoa.
"We welcome them if they want to come," said Hendro, "But if we have to pay them US$150,000 for the visits, I think we'll have to think it over."
If necessary, PSSI will include members of the younger national team, known popularly as Primavera. The junior pre- Olympic team has been groomed in Italy for Olympic's group C qualifying round for almost two years now, he said.
Hendro added that PSSI's target for Primavera this year is to pass pre-Olympic selection and for the main team to grab the gold at the December SEA Games.
Hendro said PSSI has appointed Italian coach Romano Matte of Sampdoria as technical advisor and Andi Teguh as coach for the national team.
In the Singapore SEA Games in 1993, the Indonesian soccer team fell 3-1 to Singapore, the bronze medalist. This was a sharp contrast to the gold medal won by the national team at the 1991 SEA Games in the Philippines, where Indonesia beat Thailand 4-3.
Fifty Indonesian business tycoons have committed financing the preparations as well as the sending of the Indonesian squad to the Games according to KONI treasurer Setya Novanto. To participate in the Games, KONI estimated the need for funds totaling around Rp 15 billion. (arf)