Jayapura, Jubi – The Minister of Youth and Sport Imam Nahrawi is destroying Papuan football, said former Persipura player Nico Dimo.
He said the league competitions in Indonesia are currently suspended following the decision taken by the minister to freeze the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) that resulted in the termination of the Indonesian Super League (ISL) football competition and despaired Persipura to compete in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup on last year.
Further, Papuan football team for Pre-National Sport Event (PON) that previously won the regional champion on the early match held in Jayapura must do a rematch to ensure their participation in football competition of PON that held in West Java, Dimo told Jubi on Friday (12/2/2016).
“And now how dare is the President Jokowi to remove the Minister of Youth and Sport from his cabinet. Many people are certainly expecting the president can do it if he loved his people and Indonesian football,” he said.
In addition, he said, now FIFA rejected the minister’s letter asking FIFA’s recognition on the Ad Hoc team proposed by the government although FIFA actually has formed the PSSI Reform Ad Hoc Committee led by Agum Gumelar.
“The solution is now up to Jokowi, who has been elected by the Indonesian people including Papuan people,” he said.
During the time, the government looked reluctant to work with the PSSI Reform Ad Hoc Committee considering the team is a form of the violation of commitment by FIFA official against the Indonesian Government when met the President Joko Widodo at the early of November last year.
At that time, FIFA agreed with the Indonesian Government to form a small team to hold communication with FIFA related to the progress of the Indonesian football. The small team has been established and consisted of Gatot S Dewa Broto, the late Joko Susilo, former Indonesian Sport Committee Chairwoman Rita Subowo, former Director General of Asia Africa Makarim Wibisono, and representative of former national player Dede Sulaiman as members.
Later, FIFA stated to form a PSSI Reform Ad Hoc Team by involving the national football stakeholders represented government, PSSI, PT. Liga Indonesia and player representatives. The government considered this as violation of agreement made between the Indonesian Government and FIFA.
However, PSSI Reform Ad Hoc Committee is optimistic the dispute on national football could be solved before the FIFA Extraordinaty Congress that would be held in Zurich, Switzerland on 26 February. The Ad Hoc Committee Chairman Agum Gumelar said the minister is now on the same point with the team.
“At least we have same motivation with the minister to resolve the problem on national football. I see the minister also doesn’t want the sanction of FIFA to Indonesia would be lasted. Our discussion is also the same, it is related to the future of national football,” said Gumelar as cited in online media.
He said the key is the government want to get involved in the committee. The reform of national football could run smoothly due to good communication of both sides. Thus the committee could find out the government aspirations and vice versa. “But I am optimistic that the committee and the government would work together to solve this problem,” he said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)
