Blow the whistle: Protesters claiming to be Indonesian soccer supporters march to the venue of the Soccer Association of Indonesia congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday
low the whistle: Protesters claiming to be Indonesian soccer supporters march to the venue of the Soccer Association of Indonesia congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Monday. They threw their support behind a task force assigned to eradicate corruption in the administration of soccer in the country.(JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi praised the recent initiative taken by the chief of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), Edy Rahmayadi, to step down from the office and he vowed that it would not stop the current antimatch-fixing probes.
“We appreciate Edy’s dedication to the country’s soccer, but then the PSSI shouldn’t waste any more time and move on with further mapping to curb the existing problems,” he said on Monday.
Currently, Imam said, an investigation launched by the antimatch-fixing task force led by the police is ongoing. The PSSI, he added, should keep up with initiatives to improve the association’s performance that in the end would boost the national soccer team.
“The key word is transparency. The PSSI should join forces with other institutions to make necessary changes that would guarantee integrity,” he said.
Julius Raja, secretary of the PSMS Medan soccer club, in which Edy is registered as a stakeholder, said he regretted the decision, explaining that Edy had actually served with distinction during his tenure as
PSSI chief.
“We have not had many people who would act like him, stepping down from a position that has been desired by many,” he told The Jakarta Post.
Julius acknowledged that he was initially surprised by the decision. He said he noticed that Edy has been shunned by many of his colleagues in the association.
“When Edy invited all PSSI officials to a gala dinner a day before the congress, just half of them went. I knew from that moment that Edy had lost half the support and that might have contributed greatly to his decision to step down,” he said.
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