U-15 player falsifies age

U-15 player falsifies age

JAKARTA (JP): A Jakartan soccer player has allegedly falsified
his age in order to compete in the Bogasari Under-15 soccer
league despite having twice passed administration procedures and
medical screenings in Bandung and Jakarta.

Central Java team manager Bambang Husodo and coach Cornelis
Sutadi said on Thursday that the player, identified as Harianto,
had entered two separate age details on his elementary school
report and diploma. The school report said Harianto was born on
April 21, 1984 while the diploma declared he was two years
younger.

The documents also stated that Harianto entered school in 1990
and graduated in 1998, despite the fact that a basic education in
Indonesia only lasts for six years.

"If PSSI says that Harianto is eligible to play, Central Java
will heed the decision. But I'm afraid that this scandal could
ruin our national soccer development," said Sutadi.

Bambang hoped that the chairman of the Soccer Association of
Indonesia (PSSI), Agum Gumelar, would take stern measures with
the Jakarta team so as to uphold the league's rules.

The rules state that a player who is proved to falsify their
age would be banned from PSSI competitions for two years. Any
official who is proved to have been involved or to have allegedly
encouraged such action would face a suspension of three years and
the club would be disqualified from the competition. (ivy)