The Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of this country have disagreements about the goals of the U22 team at the 33rd SEA Games. One side demands to protect the gold medal, the other side only sets a target for the gold medal, affecting the players' spirit.
Mr. Zain Amali - Vice President of PSSI said that many players were disappointed after hearing that the official target from the Ministry of Youth and Sports was only to win silver medals. According to him, this makes them feel untrustworthy.
"The players were a bit surprised by the target set by the Ministry. They thought that this meant that no one believed they were capable of defending the gold medal. Therefore, the spirit was somewhat affected, Mr. Amali shared with the Indonesian press.
He also said that after meeting and encouraging them directly, the team spirit stabilized: "I explained clearly so that they could understand the problem. There is nothing wrong. The important thing is that the players must prove they are capable of winning gold medals and need to continue to make efforts.
The Vice President of PSSI believes that the difference in viewpoints between PSSI and the Ministry of Youth and Sports is a thing that has happened before, there is nothing unusual, especially in the context that each organization has its own criteria and expectations.
Sports organizations often set higher goals. With PSSI, the mission of U22 Indonesia is always to aim for the best results, which is to hold on to the gold medal in men's football," Mr. Amali added.
Previously, the report of the inspection team under the Ministry of Youth and Sports determined that the target for U22 Indonesia at the 33rd SEA Games was a silver medal, contrary to the gold medal target announced by PSSI. The Indonesian press said that this decision is based on the assessment of the strength correlation between U22 Indonesia and strong opponents such as U22 Vietnam or host U22 Thailand.
Although lower goals can help reduce pressure, reality creates a negative mentality in the team. Some team members said they were underrated for their ability to compete.
Coach Indra Sjafri had to directly stabilize the team's mentality: "I spoke to the players to make them more assured. The goal of the whole team is still towards the gold medal. We respect the Ministry's targets, but always aim to defend the championship title in 2023. That's not changeable.
