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Transparency name of the game for post-Edy PSSI
The universe appears to have conspired to support Indonesian soccer. Over the past few months it has seen not only one but two watershed moments that should boost the morale of the ailing Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
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Unfinished job: Outgoing Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) chairman Edy Rahmayadi (left) hands over the association’s flag to PSSI deputy chairman Djoko Driyono following the former’s resignation from his position during the opening of the PSSI congress in Nusa Dua, Bali. Djoko has officially taken over as chairman. (The Jakarta Post/Zul Trio Anggono)
T
he universe appears to have conspired to support Indonesian soccer. Over the past few months it has seen not only one but two watershed moments that should boost the morale of the ailing Soccer Association of
Indonesia (PSSI).
The first was the surprising confession of Madura FC manager Januar Herwanto about his dealing with match-fixing, which he said was rampant. His revelation led to an unprecedented police crackdown on the practice.
A new antimatch-fixing taskforce has so far named 10 people suspects, three of them PSSI top brass.
In a TV talk show, Januar named PSSI executive commission member Hidayat as being involved in organized match-fixing. Although he denied the allegation, Hidayat decided to step down from the PSSI executive committee.
The PSSI’s disciplinary commission eventually punished Hidayat, denying him access to stadiums for three years on top of a Rp 150 million (US$10,660.50) fine.
The police’s arrest of PSSI executive committee member and Central Java chapter head Johar Lin Eng, PSSI disciplinary committee member Dwi Irianto, also known as Mbah Putih, and PSSI referee commission member Priyanto in connection with match-fixing speaks volumes about a practice entrenched in Indonesian soccer.
Deputy task force chief Brig. Gen. Krishna Murti has vowed to hunt down all parties involved, not only the small fry but also the big, powerful fish. The public seems to believe in the integrity of the investigation, although only time will tell.
The second watershed moment is the surprising resignation of PSSI chief Edy Rahmayadi. He relinquished his post during his opening speech at the PSSI congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Jan. 20. The retired three-star Army general said he called it quits because he had failed to fulfill the mandate he assumed more than two years ago as leader of the country’s biggest sport federation.
Whatever the reason for his resignation, pressure had been mounting for him to step down ever since the match-fixing saga came to the fore. Edy could not devote himself to the PSSI in the midst of the crisis due to his job as the governor of North Sumatra, a public post he won in the June 2018 election. His decision to turn to politics, which forced him to retire from the Army, was considered a bad gesture that only exacerbated the PSSI’s problems.
Edy’s deputy and PSSI old guard Joko Driyono is filling his former boss’ shoes, pending the election of a definite chairperson in 2020. Joko has spent the last decade in various strategic positions at the PSSI, so technically he fits the interim chief post.
However, many aficionados think Joko does not deserve the top job. For these people, with Joko in the driver’s seat, the PSSI will go nowhere. They are duly right as Joko, as well as other old faces within the PSSI, made no difference in the association despite his long time serving there.
Since SEA Games glory in 1991, Indonesia has failed to live up to its billing as a regional giant, collecting neither laurels nor silverware in Southeast Asia’s top-flight soccer competitions, despite an abundance of talent. For almost three decades the PSSI has left Indonesian soccer fans hungry for pride.
Joko said he was aware of the criticism against him, but he promised to prove the doubters wrong. His first litmus test will be how he tackles the rampant match-fixing practices, which is why transparency matters. The PSSI used to sweep allegations of match-fixing under the carpet until the police intervened recently. There should be no more cover-ups, let alone immunity for individuals within the PSSI whom the police taskforce suspects of involvement in attempts to rig matches.
Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi has underlined the need for transparency if the PSSI is to change the game. He said transparency would help the soccer body identify problems it faces and find remedies.
A culture of openness is what the PSSI sorely missed when filling key posts in its structure, resulting in the selection of figures who lacked credibility. The association has to recruit as many people known for their clean track record as possible to build itself anew. A good beginning makes a good ending after all.
Regardless of the public’s low expectations for Joko’s leadership, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. In the course of time we will witness whether he facilitates or undermines the criminal investigation into match-fixing.
As the PSSI grapples with all its impediments, neighboring countries are running ahead fast. Vietnam, for example, carved out a piece of history after reaching the Asian Cup quarterfinals — the only Southeast Asian team to have gone that far in the competition.
Certainly Indonesia, a country where according to Nielsen 77 percent of the population, or around 150 million people, are interested in soccer, should envy Vietnam, which is one sixth and 40 percent of Indonesia’s territory and population respectively.
Time is against us, and the PSSI must go the extra mile to restore Indonesian soccer and the people’s faith in it.
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The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.
