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KOI defends chief’s involvement in Jokowi campaign team
Erick Thohir (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)The Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has come out in defense of head Erick Thohir’s appointment as the Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma’aruf Amin national campaign team chief, stating that it did not violate the Olympic Charter
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Erick Thohir (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
The Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has come out in defense of head Erick Thohir’s appointment as the Joko “Jokowi” Widodo-Ma’aruf Amin national campaign team chief, stating that it did not violate the Olympic Charter.
KOI sport development commission chief Harry Warganegara said the charter provided enough room for politics and sports to mingle.
“It provides enough space for politics and sports to mingle as long as they honor each other’s autonomy. Thus we don’t see any reason that Erick’s involvement violated anything,” Harry added on Thursday.
He then cited the fact that the National Olympic Committee’s (NOC) chief positions in Singapore and Cambodia were filled by state officials. Singapore’s Workforce Minister Tan Chuan Jin has served as NOC chief since 2014, while Cambodia has entrusted Tourism Minister Dr. Thong Kon with the job.
Harry said Erick had stated that he would continue to serve as KOI chief to prepare the country for future sport events.
“Pak Erick also stated that he will be delivering his report on the recently concluded Asian Games,” he added.
Sports science professor Tommy Apriantono of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) said no laws or regulations had been violated by Erick’s appointment.
However, he added that Erick should consider taking a year’s sabbatical from the KOI to avoid any conflict of interest that could occur during the upcoming campaign season, which will run from Sept. 23 to April 13.
“It will be awkward, for example, if as KOI chief he had to deal with the martial arts federation, which is led by his political opponent. Therefore, it will be wiser for him to step down for a while and let his deputies take care of business,” Tommy told The Jakarta Post.
Yogyakarta State University sports science expert Joko Pekik Irianto said Erick’s latest role could be justified as long as his deputies and executive committee prepared the national team for big events like the 2019 South East Asia Games in Manila, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Erick is a media mogul who owns several sport clubs. As head of the Indonesian Asian Games Organizing Committee, he was responsible for the smooth running of the Asian Games where Indonesia won 31 gold, 24 silver and 43 bronze medals.
The main reason Jokowi handpicked Erick as his national campaign team chief is largely because of his lack of ties with the country’s major political parties.
