Yogyakarta and Padang soccer clubs to disband

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A local soccer club, PSIM, is set to disband following a recent decision by the All Indonesian Soccer Federation to cancel this year's league.

The club's chief, Idham Samawi, said yesterday PSIM suspended all activities after the federation brought about a premature end to the league Monday. According to the initial schedule, the league was to finish in mid July.

"Considering the unstable sociopolitical, economic and security conditions, which have not been completely restored, we decided to cancel all competitions," Idham told The Jakarta Post.

He said club officials would meet to set the date for liquidation.

"I support the decision to disband the club because we have already run out of money to pay the coach and players' salaries."

PSIM hired Cameroon-born Ali Ibrahim Yahya and Brazilian Amilton de Oliviera this season but they failed to propel the club into the top positions. It lay at the bottom of the Central Division table before the league was suspended.

Idham said the players would be returned to their respective clubs under PSIM's auspices. The Yogyakarta club groups small, amateur clubs across the city.

In Padang, the coach and players of soccer club PSP said they were expecting club owners to announce its dissolution in the next few days.

Coach Tukijan Teguh said the club's top executives Yusman Kasim and Zuiyen Rais had met several times recently, apparently to discuss possible liquidation of the club.

"I want the club to be dissolved as soon as possible. A quick decision will give us ample time to think about our future direction," Tukijan said as quoted by Antara.

The soccer federation's announcement Monday followed a week of political turmoil which peaked with Soeharto's resignation as the president after 32 years in office.

The same reason accounted for the federation's decision to withdraw from the 2nd Tiger Cup tournament and the Asian Champions Cup and Cup Winners Cup competitions.

It is not clear whether Indonesia will take part in the Asian Games (Asiad) soccer competition either. The National Sports Council only allocates places in the Asiad squad to the national soccer team if it manages to excel in the Tiger Cup, scheduled for early August in Kuala Lumpur.

A former executive of the federation, Agum Gumelar, urged the national soccer body to reconsider its decision, saying that it would discourage soccer's development here. (23/amd)