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Persipura ditches team following FIFA ban
The management of four-time Indonesia champion Persipura Jayapura announced Friday its dismissal of the team in a clear message about its rejection to play in a government-operated league
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T
he management of four-time Indonesia champion Persipura Jayapura announced Friday its dismissal of the team in a clear message about its rejection to play in a government-operated league.
"Today, June 5, 2015, the management dismisses the Persipura Jayapura team until Kemenpora [Youth and Sports Ministry] lifts its suspension of PSSI [Indonesian Soccer Association]," club president Benhur Tommy Mano, who is also Jayapura's mayor, said at Hotel Grand Abe, Abepura, Jayapura, on Friday.
He said the club's obligation to the players would be finalized immediately with non-Indonesian members to be sent home to their respective countries.
Following FIFA's sanction ' which banned Indonesia from international competitions due to the ministry's move to suspend PSSI, seen by FIFA as inappropriate governmental meddling ' the ministry, through its transitional board, plans to organize a soccer competition.
"Persipura will not play in a competition not affiliated with FIFA and AFC [Asian Football Confederation], including a competition run by the transitional board," Tommy said.
Persipura was going to play Pahang FA in an AFC Cup game on May 26 but the match fell through as the Malaysian club aborted its trip because its non-Malaysia players were denied entry visas to Indonesia.
Minister Imam Nahrawi has since promised Persipura he would lobby AFC to reschedule the match.
Tommy is skeptical: "AFC does not accept government envoys but [rather] federation [envoys]. If Menpora [Youth and Sports Ministry] went there it would be rejected. What he does will be useless," Tommy said.
After finishing last season as a runner-up to Persib Bandung, Persipura was upbeat about upping its game, boosted by Rp 36 billion (US$2.7 million) in sponsorship funds from PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Bank Papua. --JP(+++)
