YOGYAKARTA (Indonesia Today) – Trade affairs minister Gita Wirjawan has been elected new chief of Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) for 2012-2016 in a national convention of the association Friday (September 21).
Gita got 31 out of 34 eligible votes. Icuk Sugiarto, reportedly supported by Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, only got two votes, while one was abstain.??
Gita replaces General (ret) Djoko Santoso, who has led the organization since 2008. Djoko was former military commander.??
Gita is expected to revive Indonesia’s performance in the sport, which declined substantially in the world’s stages in recent years. Badminton is one of the most popular sports in Indonesia behind football.
The biggest disappointment was the sector’s failure to continue the country’s tradition to win Gold Medal in Olympics. (haryanto@theindonesiatoday.com)