Sports development for national pride
Sports development for national pride
Recently, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) kicked off
a campaign to popularize sports. This campaign is welcomed
particularly because the fact is our sporting reputation has been
declining during the past few years, or maybe decades.
As a developing nation, our development has been focused on
the economy, struggling out of a crisis in part caused by our
miscalculations, but improvements have been transparently
achieved even though slight.
Our sports reputation has been marred by brawls, intensive
crash programs and continuous defeats that discourage public
trust toward our sporting contingents.
Recently, television has broadcast soccer matches, which
showed antiriot police clubbing spectators and breaking up fights
between players. Our legendary badminton squad, which had once
dominated the world during the 1960s and 1970s has to admit
defeat -- causing disappointment for the fanatic supporters, who
are always expecting magnificent triumphs, celebrated with glory
and fame.
It is during this multi-crisis period that a victory from our
athletes that could cure our mind-set, which is entrapped by
the nightmare of sporting disasters. Will the golden era of
sports end? Under SBY's government, hope prevails, while the
public awaits the athletes, contingents and heroes to defend
their nation and return home victoriously with a trophy boosting
our nation's reputation and entertaining the public during a
time of crisis.
Besides trophies, the system is a matter that we must
evaluate. The management, the recruitment, the training and
also the funding that determines the performance as it is now.
Every five years, the National Games (PON) is held and
participated in by teams from every province. It is during the
PON that each province has the chance to prove their supremacy by
winning medals. As a national event, it is also noticed a
business opportunity.
Many sports fans optimistically support the President's
attempt to popularize sports, and expect it to be a part of our
national development. Are victories not also considered
development?
When will Indonesia enter even the semifinals of the Asian
Football (soccer) Championship, or when will an Indonesian win
the Wimbledon Tennis Championship? If it becomes a reality, the
public will definitely be pleased and proud.
NINO MANUWOTO
Bogor, West Java
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