0 Govt asked to help settle sporting conflicts

The Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) has urged the government to settle the country’s sporting dualism issues, after concerns that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) may place sanctions on Indonesian athletes, preventing them from competing in international sporting events. In a meeting held by the National Sports Council (KONI) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan in December last year, KONI decided to use the Olympic rings logo, similar to KOI’s current logo, and stated that it wanted KOI to be part of KONI. 

“We’ll encourage the new Youth and Sports Minister Roy Suryo to help settle the problem in accordance with the law,” KOI secretary-general Timbul Thomas Lubis told a press conference on Thursday. He said Law No. 3/2005 on the national sportsmanship system only recognized KOI as a national sports organization, which is also recognized by the IOC. KONI chairman Tono Suratman could not be reached for a comment. 

Disputes between the two sports organizations can be traced to 1946 when the first Indonesian sports organization was established under the name of the Sports Association of the Republic of Indonesia (PORI). A year later, other sports organizations also established the Olympic Committee of the Republic of Indonesia (KORI) before it was changed to KOI. PORI merged with it in 1951. Eight years later, the government established the Indonesian Asian Games Council (DAGI) to prepare for the fourth Asian Games. 

In 1964, the government established the Sports Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DORI) which merged all sports organizations. DORI was changed into KONI in 1966, led by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, while KOI was led by Sri Paku Alam VIII. KONI was given a legal umbrella when the late president Soeharto issued Presidential Decree No. 57/1967. However, in 2005, the government enacted Law No. 3/2005, which said KOI was in charge of organizing Indonesia’s participation in international sporting events, with the National Sports Committee (KON) in charge of organizing national sporting events. “It’s ok for us to merge with KONI but it has to be under KOI’s flag,” Timbul said.

source : the jakarta post