W

ith visions of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the PSSI says it will establish sustainable youth soccer academies across the nation to produce superior players.

PSSI youth development commission head Bob Hippy said that the program would cost around Rp 20 billion [US$2.26 million], 70 percent of which would come from the Youth and Sports Ministry and 30 percent from sponsors, state-owned companies and private companies.

PSSI chairman Djohar Arifin Husin was optimistic about the association’s long-term plan. “Our development program targets talents from the tender age of 10 to 12. We hope that by the age of 22 to 24 they will be ready as top players. We have a dream that we’ll be able to send excellent players to the 2022 World Cup, and that they will ripen at the 2026 World Cup.”

The PSSI plans to establish six “Garuda Academies” in Padang, West Sumatra; Manokwari or Jayapura, Papua; Malang, East Java; Bandung, West Java; Balikpapan, East Kalimantan; and Makassar, South Sulawesi by July 2012.

Each academy will recruit for the national team, providing full scholarships to 44 young bloods shortlisted from competitors from around the archipelago.

“For the first time in history, Indonesia will have a soccer development program that covers the entire archipelago, from Sabang to Merauke,” future Garuda Academy director and former Persema Malang coach Timo Scheunemann said.

The academies aim to attract the best of the best from the U19 group (second and third grades of senior high school) and players from the U17 group (first grade of senior and third grade of junior high) who have excelled in provincial competitions at the  U12, U14, U16 and U18 levels.

“We’re calling the competition in those four age-groups the ‘Road to Gelora Bung Karno’” Timo said, referring to the nation’s largest stadium, located at the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Jakarta.

Timo described how the academies would open. “This November, we will select 26 talent scouts and 36 coaches. They will be trained in December. In January to March next year, we will decide on the partner schools as well as the proper catering, dormitories and the soccer fields that will be used.”    

Soccer legend Ricky Yacobi, now a member of the PSSI’s talent development commission, said the PSSI’s structured grasssroots development plan would help end the widespread practice lying about their ages.  

“It’s crucial to build an online database network on our best soccer talents nationwide. For the past 25 years, we have only dreamt of having a database. Whenever we need players we have to go from one city to another and select from scratch among some 300 raw talents. Hopefully, we won’t have to do that anymore.” Ricky said.

Database programming begins this December in Jakarta, West Java and Banten, before continuing in Central Java and East Java.