Marciano Norman (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

Just recently, the National Sports Council (KONI) unanimously elected Marciano Norman as its new chairman amid hopes the sports governing body can do more to help Indonesian athletes perform better on the international stage. The former State Intelligence Agency chief spoke about his plans and strategy with The Jakarta Post’s Primastuti Handayani, Dicky Christanto and Ramadani Saputra. 

How will you solve the council’s internal problems and help our athletes prepare for major events in the future?

I want to transform KONI into a credible, independent, professional and modern organization. As the new KONI head, I will prioritize settlement of the current internal matters. Internal consolidation matters in this regard. I want to solve the problems first because I do not want them to hinder the realization of my plan to improve KONI as an
organization.

I want the public to know about our real condition. We are currently facing financial management problems. We financially rely on the Youth and Sports Ministry’s grant. This is [not ideal] and [I] hope we can sit with other stakeholders to discuss the issue as [I believe] we cannot just let this financial problem plague the organization.

My priority is of course [finding] a solution to the problem facing our employees, who have been unpaid for the last seven months. It is embarrassing for the sports council to have this problem.

I will improve communication between KONI and the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as between KONI and the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) and individual sport federations. In developing national sports, each party plays an important role. I want to enhance the development program while we [supervise] the federations.

Sports development needs to be managed in a modern way, through which we can exchange coaches and athletes with other countries and cooperate with other parties such as state-owned enterprises or private companies. We should build trust so that they are willing to get involved.

In the future, we must reduce our dependence on the government by treating sports as an industry. To realize this we have to cooperate with big companies in a way that is mutually beneficial.

How are KONI’s financial problems currently affecting its employees?

I have personally talked to the employees, just to know how they make ends meet. Some of them moonlight as ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers. They told me they find any job they can to feed and support their children. We should not be ashamed about this fact […]. I asked them to continue their side jobs until I could find the best solution for them. I cannot promise anything at the moment.

What we need to fix is the system, rather than finding temporary solutions, such as giving them money. One of the best ways is to restore KONI as a unit that receives funding from the state budget, which includes for our employees’ salaries.

Presidential Regulation No. 95/2017 has reduced KONI to a federation financially dependent on the Youth and Sports Ministry. How would you restore KONI’s central role in sports development and what are the challenges?

I have to show that KONI can play an important role [in sports development]. But we have to prove first that we can do it. After that we can invite the policymakers [to discuss] whether the regulation is appropriate. If it no longer appropriate, why don’t we review it? [But] the revision must be thorough. We cannot just create a new policy that will only create new problems.

KONI once was glorious, why don’t we restore its glory?

One key element of good sports management is financial transparency. Would you invite a third party like the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to address this matter?

That’s one of my top priorities. In this era, accountability is one of the most important things, so I will invite other parties to supervise [the financial management] of the organization. For example, I will be very glad if the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) scrutinized KONI’s financial report every month. I do not want financial irregularities to detract from sports development.

I can guarantee that the state funds we receive will be spent accordingly. There is no room for irregularities that harm the organization. A sports organization must be handled by individuals who embrace sportsmanship and discipline, including discipline in managing the budget.

What is your plan for our participation in sporting events in the near future?

The 2018 Asian Games served as a moment of revival for our sporting achievements. At the upcoming Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Manila, we should be able to maintain that level of achievement even though we will not field our entire Asian Games team at the regional event. We will give opportunities to younger athletes to compete at the SEA Games.

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