Soccer body promises to stop the rot
Soccer body promises to stop the rot
JAKARTA (JP): When Indonesian League soccer's third season
kicks off Nov. 17, spectators can look forward to better
competition, sportsmanship and sports facilities, the Indonesian
Soccer Association promises.
"We realize that during the first and second seasons, the of
competition was decreasing while problems occurred more often,"
the association's secretary-general Nugraha Besoes said on
Saturday.
The number of goals scored decreased from 1,408 in the first
season to 1,060 in the second, he said. However, Nugraha expects
that the number of goals will increase in the league's third
season.
As the intensity of play diminished, so did the number of
spectators. About 5.2 million people watched the first season
matches but only 3.6 million visited stadiums during the second
season.
Meanwhile, discipline is becoming more of a problem. during
the second season, the association's discipline commission had to
solve 38 cases, involving referees, players and spectators, up
sharply from the 18 cases the commission examined during the
first season.
But this time, the association is better prepared, Nugraha
said. This season's competition will be bound by new match rules
and better-maintained stadiums.
Facilities are a problem for many soccer clubs, which do not
have stadiums appropriate for national-level competition but do
not have the funds to renovate them or build new ones.
The third season, which will last until July 1997, will
feature 33 teams competing across three divisions.
Antara reported that the western division is composed of
Persiraja Banda Aceh, Medan Jaya, Semen Padang, PSBL Bandar
Lampung, Persita Tangerang, Persija Central Jakarta, Persijatim
East Java, Persikab Bandung regency, MBR Bandung, Persebaya
Surabaya and Arema Malang.
The central division consists of PSMS Medan, PSDS Deliserdang,
PSP Padang, PSB Bogor, Pelita Jaya, Persib Bandung, PSIS
Semarang, Mataram Indocement Yogyakarta, Arseto Solo, Mitra
Surabaya and Barito Putra Banjarmasin.
The eastern division comprises Petrokimia Putra Gresik,
Asyaabaab SGS Surabaya, Persedikab Kediri, Persema Malang, Gelora
Dewata Denpasar, Pusam Samarinda, Pupuk Kaltim Bontang, Persiba
Balikpapan, PSM Ujungpandang, Persma Manado and Persipura
Jayapura.
Four winners of each divisions will compete in the final round
next year.
The association's chairman Azwar Anas is scheduled to open the
season officially at a game between Medan Jaya and defending
champion MBR Bandung at the Teladan Stadium in Medan, North
Sumatra on Nov. 17. (yan)