Indonesia Sports Minister Irked by Irfan Bachdim’s Exclusion From U-23 Team
Armando Siahaan | January 21, 2011
The decision by the Indonesian Football Association not to include Irfan Bachdim, center, and Kim Kurniawan in the national under 23 squad has irked Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng. (JG Photo/ Afriadi Hikmal)
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Jakarta. The failure of the Indonesian Football Association to include Irfan Bachdim and Kim Kurniawan in the national under 23 squad has irked Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng.
Speaking to the Jakarta Globe on Thursday, Andi urged the association, also known as the PSSI, to recall the pair.
“The best men in the country deserves to play for their national team,” Andi said. “There shouldn’t be any discrimination in forming the national team.”
Irfan and Kim have been stood down from the squad, which is due to compete in the 2012 Olympic qualifiers, because they both play for Persema Malang, which left the PSSI-backed Super League for the recently launched Indonesian Premier League.
Andi said that even if the PSSI had banned IPL players from the squad, there was another mechanism that would ensure selection.
“Prima has the right to recommend that any citizen who has international-level skills can be selected directly,” he said, referring to the Gold Indonesia Program.
Moreover, Andi said that Prima could summon the national coach, Alfred Riedl, to explain why the two players were omitted.
“Irfan Bachdim has played for the senior national team. So why should we say that he doesn’t deserve to play for the [U-23] team?” Andi said.
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