“PSSI Forms Institution to Assist Former National Team Players Like Kurnia Meiga”

CNN Indonesia

Thursday, May 25 2023 00:26 WIB

Jakarta, CNNIndonesia —

Chairman PSSI Erick Thohir said he would form an institution in the form of a limited liability company (PT) and a foundation to help former Indonesian national team players who are having difficulties like Kurnia Meiga.

Meiga was forced to retire early from football in 2017. The former Indonesian National Team goalkeeper was seriously ill with a protracted healing process that forced him to hang up his gloves.

Because his condition did not improve until 2023, Meiga even wanted to sell the medals he had won for the necessities of life and treatment.

Initially, Erick sent health workers to Meiga’s house. The health condition of the former Arema Indonesia player was carefully examined. Now Meiga has received treatment at the hospital.

“So, today Kurnia Meiga also seems to have checked in total at the hospital. Yesterday was just the initial check. So in total. In the future it will not only be Kurnia Meiga,” said Erick in the GBK Stadium press conference room, Wednesday (24/5) .

Responding to this incident, Erick assembled the PSSI Executive Committee (Exco). They discussed the condition of former Indonesian national team players who were having difficulties. PSSI then agreed to form a public company (PT).

Incidentally, PSSI once had a PT to take care of former players. Such a PT will be revived by adding a new mechanism, namely adding a foundation as the owner of the PT’s shares.

“Media colleagues remember when we held PSSI’s birthday at Gelora Bung Karno. At that time we met many Indonesian football heroes, some of whom lived well while others lived in poverty,” said Erick.

“Because of that I have had an Exco meeting. PSSI used to have PT Garuda or something like that. So, that PT will be later [sahamnya] 95 percent will be owned by PSSI, no individuals, no me, no Mr. Amali, now five percent is owned by the foundation,” he said.

This company will later become a part of PSSI which commercializes soccer activities. With the company’s income, automatically there will also be funds to help those in need.

“This PT commercializes football at PSSI. Isn’t that okay? Five percent why does it belong to a foundation? One of them we have agreed on at Exco to raise funds to help football heroes who are lacking,” he said.

The case experienced by Meiga also became the basis for Erick’s thoughts to force the clubs participating in the competition to cover the BPJS for the players. The hope is that there will be no more abandoned players because they do not have health insurance.

“We have to work together, but with the commercialization of football, the foundation will also accommodate those who are lacking, whoever it will be. So we have mechanisms whereby the finances will also be audited,” said Erick.

“Later, we will slowly collect data on which national players need assistance, but the foundation will be established first. We will try to help what we can. The foundation mechanism is more prolonged, unlike us individuals,” he said.

(abs/nva)