Some 500 Surabaya football supporters to Jakarta

Surabaya, East Java - Some 500 supporters from Surabaya have left for Jakarta for a demonstration demanding a revolution of the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and its management, in the small hours of Wednesday.

"We come to Jakarta to unite with other supporters in Indonesia demanding for a replacement of the management of PSSI and Nurdin Halid to step down as the organization`s general chairman," Surabaya supporter coordinator Gomes said on the sidelines of the departure in Surabaya.

They left on 12 buses without wearing any attributes of Persebaya supporters.

"Some representatives of the supporters had already gone first coordinating with the leaders of the other supporters already in Jakarta, their determination cannot be bargained," he said.

He also hoped the decision of the PSSI Verification Team which had set aside George Toisutta and Arifin Panigoro as candidates of PSSI general chairman for the next term would be canceled.

In the meantime, the departure of the Surabaya supporters was actually not the last time. It was planned that on Wednesday (Feb 23) afternoon hundreds of other supporters will follow to Jakarta using 10 buses. (Uu.H-NG/F001)

Read More

Ambassador to meet FIFA President on national football association crisis

Jakarta - Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Djoko Susilo is to meet FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter on Tuesday (March 8) to enlighten the latter about the crisis happening in the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI).

"The time and agenda of the meeting has been set. I will brief the FIFA chief on what the government knows about the trouble in PSSI, including happenings ahead of the PDDI congress," Djoko Susilo said when contacted by telephone from Jakarta on Saturday.

He said FIFA had so far been receiving one-sided information, namely from PSSI itself. "Now I have been assigned by the government to explain the crisis in PSSI based on data it possesses," he said.

Apart from clarifying current developments in Indonesian football, Djoko would also ask Blatter about the PSSI rules of association endorsed by FIFA whereby Nurdin Halid, the present PSSI chairman was able to get reelected at the PSSI congress in 2007.

"FIFA should also be informed of what the government knows. So far, it has been fed with information from PSSI only. In short, I will meet Sepp Blatter so that he does not only have a one-sided understanding of the PSSI crisis," Djoko said.

Djoko who is a former member of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I, said the trouble happening in PSSI was a crucial matter because it involved the public and had become a national issue.

"Just wait, I will duly report on the outcome of my meeting with the FIFA chief. I will enlighten him on developments in Indonesian football, including the government`s role in supervising sports," he said.

Djoko said if the explanations he would give to Blatter did not satisfy FIFA, he might ask Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, who was the one who had asked him to meet the FIFA leadership, to come to the FIFA headquarters in Zurich himself.

The PSSI crisis evolves around the present chairman Nurdin Halid`s candidacy for another term in office ahead of a PSSI congress although under his leadership Indonesian football remained void of any significant achievement.

A committee responsible for verification of the eligibility of candidates for the PSSi chair recently named Nurdin and one of his long-time associates as the only candidates fit to stand in the election. This triggered wide-spread protests across the country and a commission handling appeals on the verification committee`s decision eventually revoked Nurdin`s nomination.

As a result of the problem, the PSSI executive board decided to postpone the timeline of the association`s congress while FIFA had ruled that the congress must take place before April 30. (HAJM/S012)

Read More

Kido/Hendra resolved to win All-England title

Jakarta - Indonesian badminton pair Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan are resolved to win the men`s double champion`s title in the All-England tournament in England next week.

"We are anxious (to win it) because we have never done it," Hendra said when attending the signing of a cooperation agreement between PT Adaro Energy Tbk. and PT Flypower here on Saturday to support the pair in their fight in the international tournament.

All England is the only big individual badminton tournament that the two have never won, after recording a victory in the Southeast Asia Games, Asian Games, the World Championship and the Olympics.

Regarding the injury on his knee he sustained after they won a gold medal in the Asian Games in November Hendra said that it was already improving.

"It is not a problem anymore. I have been able to play normally," he said.

Markis Kido shared the desire to win the All England champion who along with Hendra achieved a semi-final round last year.

"We have never won a title there and of course we wish we could become a champion," he said.

Their coach, Sigit Pamungkas, said the chance for the two was big if they could surpass the quarterfinals well.

In the quarterfinals at the Super Series Premier tournament Kido and Hendra would likely meet their long time opponents Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia.

"However they also need to be careful against young pairs from Korea, Japan and China," Sigit who would accompany them said.

Regarding their preparations he said that it was quite good. "Their participation in the China League even served as evaluation materials for me to see if their performance was good enough especially Hendra`s who has had a knee injury," he said.

"It seems they are fine and have even been able to beat the Chinese pair that won the Malaysia Super Series (Chai Biao) and Xu

Chen. We can consider them as their sparring partners," he said.

Hendra and Kido would leave for Birmingham on Sunday to participate in the All England from March 8 to 13.(F005/H-YH/HAJM/H-YH)

Read More

FIFA bans Nurdin Halid from running for PSSI chair

Jakarta - The world football regulator FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) has banned the present chairman of the All-Indonesia Football Association (PSSI). Nurdin Halid, from running in the election of a new chairman at its congress in late April.

Indonesian ambassador to Switzerland Joko Susilo when contacted by phone from here on Tuesday (March 8) said FIFA`s stand on Nurdin Halid was conveyed to him by FIFA President Joseph "Sepp" Blatter at a meeting earlier in the day in Zurich, Switzerland.

"Sepp Blatter said that FIFA was following its own rules of association and ethics and under these rules, ex-convicts cannot lead a football organization," he said.

Blatter who was informed by Djoko about the leadershio crisis in PSSI strictly forbade Nurdin Halid to run for PSSI chairman or other official positions in the organization.

"FIFA will not recognize the election`s result if Nurdin runs for the 2011-2015 chairmanship, and FIFA only wanted Indonesian football to be better," said Joko.

As a follow up measure, FIFA would also send a team to monitor PSSI`s congress according to the valid association`s code of conduct.

The PSSI congress will be held before April 20, 2011, according to FIFA notification letter sent earlier.

Blatter also said that FIFA will not interfere on the existence of the National Football Recovering Committee, because it is an internal PSSI`s problem.

According to original plan, the PSSI congress was to be held in Bali on March 26 to elect a chairman and deputy chairman, and an executive committee, but because an appeals committee had disqualified all four candidates, the congress had to be postponed and after FIFA was informed of the situation, it had ruled that the congress must take place before April 30.

The four candidates were Nurdin Halid, Nirwan Bakrie, George Toisutta and Arifin Panigoro.

The complicated situation prompted Indonesian football enthusiasts to hold mass rallies to demand that Nurdin Halid no longer be the PSSI chairman.

Indonesian football enthusiasts also said that Nurdin Halid had violated FIFA rules of association because he was an ex-convict. (A050/H-YH)

Read More

Rossi and Hayden fight hard in first race

Riding with characteristic grit and determination, Valentino Rossi finished the Grand Prix of Qatar in seventh place. The Italian rider duelled with Ben Spies for sixth place as long as the strength in his still-healing shoulder allowed, and he managed to maintain a good pace to the end.
After starting from the fifth row, Nicky Hayden rode a comeback race, steadily increasing his pace and finishing ninth after a series of nice passes.

Valentino Rossi:
“For sure we’re not here to get seventh-place finishes, but there are also positive things from this race, starting with the times, because we were lapping pretty quickly. I had a great start, and that was a nice feeling because the horsepower that this bike has really helps it to launch. Then I made a small error in the first turn, which is a shame because I got stuck behind Barbera for a few laps. Otherwise I would have been closer to Simoncelli and Dovizioso, since anyway there was a period when I lapped with them. I wouldn’t have beaten them though, because at the end of the race, I’m no longer able to ride like I have to. I’m not referring to the Ducati because even last year, after I hurt my shoulder, I had the same problems in the latter parts of the races, and since the two bikes are so different, it means that it’s really a matter of me not being physically right. It’s not just that. We also have to improve the bike because the others have clearly made a step forward since last year. Still, I learned a lot in this test and in this race, and we’ve already given very specific instructions about what must be done in the long term, in order to improve for the second half of the season for example. In the near term, on the other hand, we’ll work on the setup, we’ll keep gathering experience, and I’ll continue exercising and doing everything I can to recuperate physically.”

Nicky Hayden:
“I got a bad start in the race, and then when De Puniet crashed, I just about ran over him and had to come to a complete stop. I’m happy I didn’t run into him, but that was a bad break, because I was dead last with a gap to the next person. I started picking my way through, and once I got into ninth, I got into a decent rhythm and started doing my pace. I was trying to catch Edwards because I thought it would’ve been nice to have a last-lap race with him, but I didn’t quite get to him. It’s been a tough weekend for me on and off the track, but everybody around here is working to the maximum. They’re the first ones in and the last ones out. I can’t be happy with the ride, but I came from dead last, and my fastest lap was my last one. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s just one race, and no one can say we weren’t trying.”

Read More

Stoner happy, Pedrosa and Dovizioso disappointed

The Repsol Honda Team completed a strong first round of the 2011 Championship as Casey Stoner took the top spot ahead of Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo with Repsol Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa in third and Andrea Dovizioso fourth.

With this win, Stoner dominated the weekend at the Losail International Circuit, as he also took pole position and recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1'55.366 set on lap 13.

Casey Stoner, Repsol Honda
"After a great pre-season, we came into this race weekend and everything kept getting better and better for us. This morning in warm up we had a few issues getting a good feeling with the bike, carrying a full tank of fuel and this issue also affected us in the early part of the race. We knew though as the fuel level decreased and the tyres aged, that our bike would come back to us. Dani came past and we decided to follow to see where he was strong and where I was weak. Then when I started to feel more confident with the bike and had more grip and better turning, we decided to push forwards and take advantage. Tonight the bike was fantastic, as it has been for all the sessions and I'm very proud to be racing for Repsol Honda and to take my first victory in the first race. It is a great way to start the season! I'm really happy with how everything has gone and the way the team has all worked together, a big thanks to Honda and my best wishes to Japan in this difficult time".

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda
"I'm disappointed, not for the race I had, but for the physical problems I had again with my left arm. Already in practice I felt something, but I was not sure if it could be that bad. At the end I couldn't grab the handlebar and in the last 7-8 laps I couldn't use the clutch at all. I was just holding the arm and I was suffering a lot. The bike was perfect all race, I had the chance to win but I had a very hard time, one of the toughest races of my life. I don't know what I can do because I should be ok after the rest I had this winter. I did the tests and everything was in order. I feel sorry for my team as well, because the bike was very good, fast, perfect also in the corners. I'm proud of how I've been riding, I've been fighting with Casey in this circuit, as nobody else did in the past, but at the same time, I feel sad because I don't know what the future will bring. I know we will go to Jerez in two weeks, where the bike will run very well, and I'm very strong and fast, but I don't know what will happen".

Andrea Dovizioso
“I’m a bit disappointed because our target was the podium but all in all I had a good race. In the first laps I thought I could fight for the podium. I’m satisfied with my pace, I also did my fastest time on the last lap. The bike was consistent, but we need to make another step forward to stay with Casey and Dani. I lost time in the fight with Simoncelli, his passing manoeuvre was at the limit in my opinion. This was a crucial moment because we lost time which we needed to fight for the podium. I want to thank my team for the work done on the bike. I’m also happy of my physical condition because I finished the race without being too tired although racing here is demanding".

Read More

Pedrosa title hopes in doubt after arm misery

Dani Pedrosa's 2011 MotoGP title chances are already in doubt after the Spaniard encountering severe problems with his left arm during Sunday's season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.

Pedrosa smashed his left collarbone after a throttle malfunction during practice for last October's Japanese Grand Prix, and had experienced a lack of strength and numbness after returning for the final few races of last year.

Further surgery was considered, but eventually ruled out after medical tests, and the 2010 title runner-up seemed to be untroubled by the arm during winter testing.

But after brilliantly taking the fight to new Repsol Honda team-mate Casey Stoner for the first half of Sunday's race, Pedrosa was struggling to hold on to his RCV.

Dani lost the lead to Stoner on lap 12 of 22, then a further position to Yamaha's Jorge Lorenzo in the closing stages. Pedrosa's lap times had dropped from mid-1min 55sec to mid-1min 56sec.

"I'm disappointed, not for the race I had, but for the physical problems I had again with my left arm,” he said. “Already in practice I felt something, but I was not sure if it could be that bad, at the end I couldn't grab the handlebar and in the last 7-8 laps I couldn't use the clutch at all. I was just holding the arm and I was suffering a lot.

“The bike was perfect all race, I had the chance to win but I had a very hard time, one of the toughest races of my life. I don't know what can I do, because should be ok after the rest I had this winter. I did the tests and everything was in order. In the winter tests I was a bit weak, but I felt alright, so I don't know what we have to do.

“I feel sorry for my team as well, because the bike was very good, fast, perfect also in the corners. I'm proud of how I've been riding, I've been fighting with Casey in this circuit as nobody else did in the past but at the same time I feel sad because I don't know what the future will bring.

“I know we will go to Jerez in two weeks, where the bike will run very well, and I'm very strong and fast, but I don't know what will happen".

Read More

Archive