•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    SPECIAL ISSUES   

•   ABOUT US  
•   SUBSCRIBE  

A plan to call up Dutch players of Indonesian descent has been revived by local sports officials, even though the policy of naturalization in Indonesia, which has set back previous plans, could once again scuttle such a proposal.

The National Team Body (BTN) has said it is likely to offer Dutch striker Sergio Van Dijk a slot on the Merah Putih, part of the organization’s ambitious attempt to fill the national team with Netherlands-born players of Indonesian lineage.

“It’s only one option among many that we’re considering,” BTN chief Iman Arief said on Tuesday.

“The PSSI [Indonesian Football Association] will still focus on youth development and improving local competitions. If we do decide to naturalize players, we’ll opt for under-21 players,” he said.

Van Dijk was born in the northeastern Dutch municipality of Assen in 1982. His grandmother was raised in Magelang, and Van Dijk said he has kept in touch with his family in the Central Java city.

His grandfather, who was a member of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, fought in Indonesia and returned to the Netherlands at the end of World War II.

Speculation that Van Dijk would join Indonesia’s national team surfaced in February.

During his visit to Jakarta, where he met with Iman and a number of PSSI officials, he stressed his intention to play for the country.

“I’ve always wanted to play for Indonesia. Since I have close ties with the country, it’s natural that I want to play for the national team,” said Van Dijk, who has a three-year contract with A-League club Adelaide United.

“I watched an Indonesia-Australia match on TV and I really want to help the Indonesian team.”

BTN has openly discussed for months its plans to call up Dutch players but has made little progress. One reason for this, some critics have said, is Indonesia’s policies on naturalization which do not recognize the concept of dual citizenship.

When asked if he would give up his Dutch nationality, Van Dijk said it would be “difficult” because his wife was Dutch.

In its recruitment plan, BTN will work with the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) during an open selection for Dutch players to be held in the Netherlands in September.

KNVB will then coordinate with PSSI officials during the initial selection process, before national coach Alfred Reidl and his staff offer their input for the final list of call-ups.

Iman said BTN has a long list of Dutch players and has trimmed it down to around 20 names. However, he did not mention specific incentives to be offered to Van Dijk and other players should they decide to give up their Dutch citizenship.

“The Van Dijk option is only for the short term because he is already 27 years old,” Iman said. “If he does agree to play, he could be playing for us for two to three years. It may help us to be at par at the world level, particularly in the regional level.”

At least three players on the Netherlands national team that played in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa are of Indonesian descent. They are John Heitinga, Robin Van Persie and captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst.