Indonesian U-22 national team players train at Kapten Dipta Stadium, Gianyar, Bali, Thursday (6/7). The U-19 and U-22 national teams are training in Bali to prepare for the AFF Cup, the 2017 SEA Games and the Asian Cup qualifiers.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The plan to limit the number of coaches joining their teams at the2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur highlights the Youth and Sports Ministry’s poor program and budget planning, a lawmaker has said.
House of Representatives Commission X member Yayuk Basuki said that achievements in sports would only be possible through long-term development supported by a properly planned program.
“During the hearing, the government proposed a budget to send 250 athletes with the potential to win gold to the SEA Games. Now, the number of athletes that will be sent to the Games has increased to 600. Of course, the budget is not enough. This shows the quality of planning at the Youth and Sports Ministry,” Yayuk said in Jakarta on Thursday (6/7).
Lukman Niode, the deputy chair of the “Gold for Indonesia”Implementation Task Force (Satlak Prima), explained that the government had determined that only athletes with a potential to win a gold medal would be sent to the 2017 SEA Games. Under this criterium, only 250 Indonesian athletes would have been sent to the Games. However, after the budget was determined, the government expanded the criteria.
“The change was that athletes with the potential to win gold or silver should be sent to SEA Games. As such, the number of athletes Satlak Prima recommended to be sent to the Games increased to over 500,” Lukman said.
Based on Satlak Prima’s calculation, between Rp 50 million (US$3,734.14) and Rp 65 million was needed to send one athlete or official to the Southeast Asian multi-sport competition. This individual budget covers 18 components, including plane tickets, an allowance and accommodation. However, the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) only has a total budget of Rp 30.5 billion to send the Indonesian delegation to the 2017 SEA Games.
KOI has registered 534 athletes who were recommended by Satlak Prima to be sent to Kuala Lumpur on state funds. The lack of funds has forced KOI to determine that no more than 160 officials, including coaches, managers, doctors, physiotherapists and others, would go to the Games.
The restriction on the number of officials has resulted in the possibility that athletes in several sports would be competing without the presence of their coaches. For instance, KOI will only send four coaches to accompany the 22 athletes who are competing in 38 swimming events.
Sports observer Fritz Simanjuntak said that Indonesia would not make achievements in multi-sport competitions with such poor sports policy planning. “Even if athletes make achievements, it is more because of their and their coaches’ dedication for the sake of the nation, not due to proper planning,” he said.
Satlak Prima chair Achmad Soetjipto also said on Thursday that the Youth and Sports Ministry had agreed to use a Rp-5-billion fund from the Gold for Indonesia Program to support the Indonesian delegation to the 2017 SEA Games. “This is also the government’s money, and every problem has a solution,” Achmad said.
