Volleyball-playing President uses sport to connect with people
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Under the gaze of hundreds of people, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's presidential volleyball team beat three rival teams during a friendly competition on Saturday morning.
Consisting of presidential guards, Susilo's team faced no difficulties winning the matches at the Bung Karno sports complex in Central Jakarta.
The rival teams were from the Jakarta administration, the Yogyakarta administration and a team consisting of state officials and noted figures.
Among rival team members were Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, Jakarta Police chief Comr. Gen. Firman Gani, former transportation minister Agum Gumelar, noted cleric Abdullah Gymnastiar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, Minister of Industry Andung Nitimihardja and Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs Adhyaksa Dault.
Some commented that the rival teams would not dare beat the President's team.
The President, who fell over during one of the matches, appeared cheerful and smiled a lot, unlike during official events when he always appears serious.
Witnessed by First Lady Kristiani Herawati, he also sang Pelangi di Matamu (Rainbow in Your Eyes) by a popular local rock band at halftime. Spectators added to the cheerful mood by singing along with him.
Pictures of Susilo, who was playing the "people's sport", have often been published in local media since he took over the presidency in October last year.
The presidential volleyball team has on other occasions played against teams from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad).
It is not known whether the presidential volleyball team plans to hold friendly matches with other political parties such as the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is led by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and is the main opposition party in the House of Representatives.
Susilo and Megawati have not met face to face in public since the presidential election last year. Susilo was Megawait's chief security minister.
Presidential aides said the volleyball games were aimed at promoting sports among the public.
Volleyball is thought to be one of the President's favorite sports. Susilo was in a school volleyball team when he was in junior high school in his hometown in East Java.
When he was the coordinating minister for political and security affairs, Susilo and his team played against a group of journalists who covered political and security affairs.
The President recently challenged journalists covering presidential affairs to compete with him in a friendly match to mark Independence Day.