Wismoyo chairs sports council for second term
JAKARTA (JP): Wismoyo Arismunandar won a landslide majority of votes to chair the National Sports Council (KONI) for a second four-year period as widely expected on Wednesday.
More than two-thirds of the 350 participants in the KONI congress put their weight behind the former Army chief of staff, Wismoyo, saying he had brought success to national sports during his first term.
An elated Wismoyo, who turned 59 years old on Feb. 10, told a media conference that followed the announcement of his reelection that he would lead Indonesian athletes to more glory in the future by choosing his assistants on merit.
"I think I've understood the sports community better than ever. My eyes are open now to see the right persons to team up with," Wismoyo said.
Under Wismoyo's tenure, Indonesia won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, regained the country's supremacy at the Southeast Asian Games here in 1997 and fulfilled the target of winning six gold medals at the Asian Games in Bangkok last December.
The North Sulawesi sports body chairman, Evert Erens Mangindaan, who presided over the final session of the congress, announced that Wismoyo would have one month to form his executive. He will be assisted by Mangindaan and noted sports expert Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar.
Mangindaan, who is North Sulawesi Governor, was quick to decline a post on KONI's new board of executives.
"No, thank you. I can't accept a post with KONI because I'm still a governor and chair my province's sports body. There are many other people who are better than I who can help Pak Wismoyo," he said.
Wismoyo thanked the congress participants for putting trust in him.
"To chair a sports organization needs hard work and cooperation. And people must do it voluntarily," he said.
State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono gave a warm welcome to Wismoyo's reelection. Agung, who attended the session, hoped that Wismoyo and his new aides would fare well.
"Pak Wismoyo has ample experience to lead KONI and has proven his capability. Hopefully he can have a solid team with good teamwork," he said after closing the congress.
The session capped the three-day congress which also issued some recommendations for KONI to carry out in the next four years.
The spokesman for the commission on athletes development affairs, Eko F. Santoso, told the plenary meeting that KONI must set a medal-winning target for Indonesian athletes to retain their overall title at the SEA Games in Bandar Seri Begawan in August.
The commission also urged KONI to set a target for Indonesia at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
However, the council failed to conclude anything on a proposal to bid to host the 2006 Asian Games.
Chairman of the commission on organizational affairs Putra Astaman said a small team which was assigned to study the feasibility of the recommendations would further discuss the Asian Games bid. The team has three weeks to finish their work.
The council also agreed that the 2000 National Games would be held from July 19 to July 30 in Surabaya.
Another controversy marked the end of the congress when the commission on general affairs recommended that KONI ask for a government loan worth Rp 1 trillion to finance sports development.
The commission chairman, Dali Taher, said the money would be deposited in state banks and KONI could run its activities on the bank interest.
"KONI will earn around Rp 100 billion in interest per year which can be used for sports development," Dali said.
Agung criticized the recommendation as "unrealistic".
"It's strange for an organization to borrow money from the government. What if the government doesn't have the money? Do we have to use our foreign loan? How can KONI return the money?" Agung asked. (yan)