The Wrestling Association of Indonesia’s (PGSI) decision not to send a team to the recently commenced 2019 Philippines Southeast Asian (SEA) Games has sparked uproar among PGSI members. Members have said they could not see the logic behind the decision and accused the PGSI’s head of development and achievement, Gusti Randa, as being responsible.

“The PGSI has obviously abandoned efforts to seek funding for the athletes from the Youth and Sports Ministry. From our perspective, we could win two or three gold medals in the sport,” head of the PGSI’s Central Java branch Andreas Budi Wirohardjo said in a press release on Saturday.

Eddy Santoso of the PGSI’s Bengkulu branch said the decision was unforgivable, as Indonesia had long advocated for wrestling’s inclusion in the SEA Games.

Agus Pebrianto of the South Kalimantan branch said the decision was a result of Gusti’s lack of skill and knowledge of athlete development. As such, he added, a group of 11 PGSI branch heads had demanded PGSI chief Trimedya Panjaitan to replace Gusti with a more capable person.

“The PGSI has obviously abandoned efforts to seek funding for the athletes from the Youth and Sports Ministry. From our perspective, we could win two or three gold medals in the sport.”

“Rahman, head of the PGSI’s East Java branch, who is also a former wrestler, in our perspective, possess what it takes to fill that position,” Agus said.

Head of the Jakarta branch Steven Setiabudi Musa acknowledged that replacing someone in such a strategic position would be a very delicate matter. However, he insisted that in this context, it was necessary.

“We appreciate PGSI chief Trimedya Panjaitan’s efforts to improve the sport. However, this time we need him to trust our assessment and make the change,” he said.

The call for Gusti’s ousting was made on the sidelines of a student wrestling competition at Patriot Sport Center in Semarang, Central Java.

Gusti claimed to not be aware of calls for his replacement and questioned why he was thought to be solely responsible for the association’s lack of representation at the SEA Games.

“I don’t know anything about this [calls for his replacement],” Gusti, a member of the Soccer Association of Indonesia’s (PSSI) executive committee, told The Jakarta Post.

Youth and Sports Ministry spokesman Gatot S. Dewobroto said the ministry had been made aware of the decision two months ago. He said the ministry did not have an opinion on whether the association should have sent athletes to the Games.

“We could have provided assistance but the decision belongs to the association itself. We have done what we are allowed to [by the regulations], by providing the time and assistance that they might need,” he said.

Commenting on the unrest within the association, Gatot said he expected the PGSI to discuss the matter internally and come up with solutions. Besides the ongoing SEA Games, he added, there were still plenty of championships the country’s wrestlers could attend.

“If they fail to come up with any solutions, then they could consult with the National Sports Council [KONI] and the Indonesian National Olympic Committee [NOC]. If the consultation proves fruitless, then they could come to us at the ministry,” he said.

Indonesia has sent 841 athletes to the ongoing SEA Games to compete in 52 of the 56 sports featured at the multisport event.

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