PSSI's nominee choices still up in the air

PSSI's nominee choices still up in the air

JAKARTA (JP): The All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI) is
holding back all junior players from joining the centralized
training program for the Southeast Asian Games pending their
completion of their Olympic Games qualifying round duty.

"Up to now only 22 players from the national league have lined
up in our national SEA Games team. We are considering adding the
names from the Olympic soccer team after the qualifying round
ends," Arie Sudewo, who heads the national training center, told
reporters on Monday.

Arie's explanation put an end to recent debates over the
number and names of booters who deserve to be called-up to train
at the SEA Games training center.

Confusion resulted last week after Nirwan Bakrie, a PSSI
official involved in setting up a national team, said that six
teenagers who are on Olympic duty had been chosen to join the SEA
Games training program.

Almost simultaneously, however, Nirwan's Secretary-General
Endro Soemardjo told a hearing with the National Sports Council
(KONI) that only four Olympic team members would train at the
center early next month after playing their away matches in Seoul
and Hong Kong.

To make matter worse, the PSSI itself announced that ten of
the 22 players on the national Olympic team would join their
seniors for the centralized training stint.

Arie has stressed that there is no guarantee that the ten
names announced by the PSSI will eventually win the call-up for
the SEA Games.

"We will evaluate their individual performances during their
pre-Olympic away matches against South Korea and Hong Kong. Some
of the PSSI's nominees may be picked up or dropped," Arie said.

KONI has said that inserting Olympic players into the SEA
Games soccer team is necessary because it was setting its sights
higher.

KONI reiterated that the PSSI's aim of reaching the final at
the Dec. 9-17 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand. "But now we want
a gold medal," Arie said.

"I am optimistic the combination of players from the league's
clubs and their pre-Olympic counterparts will make for a solid
national team," Arie said.

As for the 22 booters already selected to train at the center,
Nirwan confirmed that no change or replacement will be made.

"The fates the Olympic booters will be decided by national
team assistant coach Andi Teguh who is monitoring their ups and
downs," Bakrie added.

Concerning two booters who have turned down the offer to join
the training stint, national SEA Games soccer team manager Agum
Gumelar said the PSSI must try to persuade the two estranged
booters, Yusuf Bachtiar and Fachri Husaini, to change their
minds.

"We must find out why they did not respond to the call to
train at the center," he said. Agum believes that every citizen
must regard the chance to defend his country in sports as an
honor.

Yusuf of Persib Bandung has chosen not to join the centralized
training because he has been away from his family and job for
quite a long time. Pupuk Kaltim's Fachri said he was unwilling to
join because, he said, unauthorized people are still playing a
role in the selection of players. (arf)