He was accompanied by Jose Rizal Partokusumo, who is in charge of Pordasi'€™s equestrian commission.

Pordasi, which supervises polo, horse racing and equestrians, is currently at odds not only with the KOI but also with the National Sports Council (KONI) and the Equestrian Federation of Indonesia (EFI). The former two have been accused by Pordasi of blindly supporting the EFI in its breakaway move to become an equestrian organization independent from Pordasi.

The EFI was formed in 2008 by several equestrian clubs and KOI president Rita Subowo later recommended to world equestrian governing body Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) through a letter dated March 12, 2010, signed by secretary-general Arie Ariotedjo, that the EFI be recognized as the national representative in international equestrian tournaments.

'€œAccording to Ibu Rita, the FEI statues require equestrians to stand independently. We checked and found out there'€™s no such thing,'€ Wijaya said.

The FEI'€™s recognition of the EFI automatically disqualified Pordasi'€™s Equestrian Commission of Indonesia (ECI).

'€œWe have since been left out of international equestrian activities,'€ Jose said.

'€œWe once had a case of our athletes having passed qualifications in Australia for the 2010 Asian Games but the EFI canceled their participation at the last minute when we already had the [flight] tickets,'€ he added.

While Pordasi was resigned to being a second fiddle to the EFI, the organization'€™s restraints looked to have worn out, seeing that it believed the EFI was running the organization against the values of sportsmanship, given that patron members in 2012 refused clubs'€™ call to hold a national meeting as a forum to establish a new board.

'€œThey said only organization patrons had the right to vote. It looked that the EFI was not being managed properly,'€ Jose said.

A request for mediation from KONI chairman Tono Suratman fell through.

'€œPak Tono'€™s response shocked us. He said '€˜you are just little horses, while they have big imports with them'€™,'€ he said. '€œWe are up against sport authoritarians.'€

In May 2013, Pordasi sought national arbitration against the EFI but the Indonesian Sport Arbitration Board (BAKI) rejected its request.

The following December, Pordasi appealed to the CAS, which later in July 2014 consented that the appeal fulfilled judiciary requirements for a proceeding.

In June 2015, the CAS ruled in favor of Pordasi. In a 25-page document, signed by president of the panel Malcolm Holmes, copies of which were made available to the Post, the CAS set aside the BAKI decision and said that the KOI had been wrong in handling the issue.

'€œThe letter sent by the Olympic Committee of Indonesia to the Federation Equestre Internationale on March 12, 2010, Ref. No. 130/KOI/LNG/III/10 is null and void,'€ the document says.

The KOI did not appear to accept the CAS ruling.

During a hearing with House of Representatives Commission X overseeing education, sports and history on Aug. 25, Rita was recorded as saying: '€œBAKI'€™s decision is final and binding because the equestrian community must govern itself independently as commissioned in FEI statutes. I met with the CAS president ['€¦] for equestrians to return to Pordasi is dangerous.'€

Contacted separately on Tuesday, Rita refused to respond to queries about the issue.

The legitimacy conflict among the equestrian community is threatening the national team'€™s preparation for the next Asian Games, which Indonesia will host in 2018.

'€œOur sport is not heading in the right direction with the KOI and KONI being that way,'€ Wijaya said.

He said in the case of there being no change on the part of the KOI'€™s and KONI'€™s stances, Pordasi would consider contacting the IOC over the case.
______________________________

Timeline of national equestrian conflict

1975: Indonesian Equestrian and Horse Racing Association (Pordasi) is formed and becomes member of Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI)

1998: Equestrian commission is added to the organization under the name Equestrian Commission of Indonesia (Pordasi-ECI)

2008: During a Pordasi congress, Irvan Gading is not reelected as Pordasi-ECI chief and along with another eight Pordasi officials later forms Equestrian Federation of Indonesia (EFI)

2010: Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) writes to FEI that EFI is a separate organization from Pordasi and acknowledges EFI as the national representative in international equestrian tournaments

2013: Indonesian Sport Arbitration Board (BAKI) rejects Pordasi appeal against KOI

2014: Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel determines it has jurisdiction to deal with the dispute as sought by Pordasi

2015: CAS rules in favor of Pordasi but KOI later does not acknowledge the decision

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