Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is scratching his head over the city’s under-achieving football club, Persija. He said the club’s management often requests financial aid, but offers nothing in return to the provincial government.
“It’s been going on for a while. They’re appearing again because they’re asking for financial aid from us. Their achievements are so-so. Well, we can spend money on Persija, but where are the shares [for the provincial government]? If we fund the club, let us manage the club,” Ahok said at City Hall yesterday, as quoted by Metro TV.
Irritated by Persija’s management, Ahok went on to joke that the provincial government should create a ‘counter’ Jakarta football team. But it would have to take a different name than the copyrighted Persija.
“We can do it, we can make ‘Persija T’, ‘Persijat’ or ‘Persija Tan’. That last one sounds like my wife’s (Veronica Tan) surname,” Ahok laughed.
Ahok is standing firm that the provincial government will not get involved with Persija’s management unless they want to sell some of the club’s shares to the city.
“You (Persija) can’t do anything if you don’t hand the club over to us. Now, would the people of Jakarta agree if we change the name to Persihok? They wouldn’t, right? That’s why the name has to stay Persija, and we (the provincial government) have to buy out the company,” Ahok said.
