Indonesian Super League Ready To Become One Of Asia's Biggest - Asian Debate

Indonesia Super League this season and expects a new Asia editor John Duerden wonders how far one can go forward ...

October 12, 2009 2:57:52
2. October was the date "batik in Indonesia. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged his countrymen to take the dress to remember the day when UNESCO officially his handmade shirts representative list of intangible heritage of humanity.

Given the disputes with Malaysia, to which countries could make a claim on his shirt, looked as if the whole of Jakarta had responded to the request and on a street where they were greeted by a group of batik.
Also in force at the offices of PSSI, Indonesian Football Association. The Board of Directors in the life of the bowels of the Soviet-designed Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, and his house is a maze of brown and beige (not as colorful as the batik), large offices, small nooks and crannies.

Compared with some of the office bright and fresh that some of the partnerships in Asia to call home, the place a little dated, but the fact appears that the curve fits follow corridors of one of the best football fields in Asia, an authentic atmosphere, not easily found elsewhere.

The same applies to the passion that Indonesia has for the beautiful game and before the new season began to come true last weekend, it's a real sense that football in the vast archipelago's people.

Indonesia Super League has not only the one to watch in Southeast Asia, is still the league's representative in the region and the space to play, despite the progress made by the leagues in Vietnam and Thailand.

Like most have in the region, Indonesia, a fan of football, but fans of Sumatra, Java and other countries are equally at home just a PSM Makassar like Manchester United. The rival league of the greats in the West - including the Series A, which is still very popular - and there is little to the snobbery of the national scene, which may exist elsewhere.

One such place is certainly fighting and football in Singapore these days in the shadow of the big neighbor to the south. S-League stars such as Noh Alam Shah and Alexander Duric have the short trip across the street from Singapore, attracted by the opportunity for a large number of people playing.

You are not alone, partly due to the fact that Indonesia will allow each team of three foreign players and two in Asia - the league is probably the most cosmopolitan city on the continent. Persija Jakarta has a pair of Singapore and Baihakki Khaizan Mustafic Fahruddin during Bandung have Persib Thailand goalkeeper Kosin Viwatchaichok Rangsan Hathairatanakool and compatriot.

These new players did not disappoint with an excellent first day of the season. More than 40,000 were in Balikpapan Bandung see Persib Persib 2-0 defeat. More than 50,000 watched Persija Jakarta Arema Malang 1-0.

It helps with the local authorities in silence, as satisfied with their work. Despite the lack of official data, the PSSI General Secretary Nugraha Beso assured me that the average attendance in the league than the traditional big leagues in Asia including South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran - just before Japan and maybe not for long.

There are still problems, of course, would not be a season of Indonesia, if all went well. Crowd problems raises its ugly head from time to time - that has the clubs are forced to play away from home in front of empty stadiums.

The teams have been known to walk out of the court, when decisions against them and the police are reluctant to get involved with the device as well. Elections last year, it was not possible, the authorities in Jakarta after month games, and games can change everything at any time - the season curtain raising, the Community Shield pulled out of the Bung Karno Gelora weeks past.

You can not write about football in Indonesia, not to mention the word c - even though the PSSI insist that corruption is declining.

However, with a growing realization among administrators, which is the interest of the league to build something.

If the costumes / batik can live up to their words of support have become the league in every way and make sure that the rule begins to be outside the field to equal the passion in him to Indonesia Super League could be the first Southeast Asia from the region .