Indonesian Football Weekend Dark Notes
Exploring the awareness behind the Kanjuruhan Tragedy Amid the skyrocketing FIFA ranking of national football in the hands of Shin Tae Yong (152nd, 1033.90 points), the public was shocked by the violence of Indonesian football that killed more than a hundred people at the Kanjuruhan stadium, Malang, Java. East.
The news of this mourning occurred at dawn, on October 2, 2022. Ironically, this football mourning occurred ahead of the celebration of the International Day of Non-Violence.
The question is, what is wrong with our football? Bara president for the 2003-2010 period, Joan Laporta, when he was present at the Atang Sutrisna field, Cijantung, five years ago once gave the message that building football is building a culture.
Coming to Indonesia on the 65th Anniversary of Kopassus, Laporta further advised, “In my opinion, football is not just a way of kicking the ball and having good players with extraordinary talents. Football is a culture. To develop it, you have to develop a philosophy.”
The message of the former President of Barca is certainly relevant to read the tragedy of Kanjuruhan in particular, generally the violence that often occurs on the national football pitch.
Finding Root
If football is understood to be related to national culture, is there something wrong with Indonesian culture, especially the culture of Indonesian football? Isn't our culture known for being polite, friendly, tolerant, and promoting social harmony? Why in the world of football, it seems as if the culture has disappeared, it doesn't leave an impression, especially on its supporters?
For me, liking football, and watching football abroad, for example, can be a place of recreation: discovering the art of collectivity, and seeing a complete portrait of life. In it, there are several values, such as the importance of an ethos, discipline, hard work, fitness, teamwork, art, and high spirituality; not only the players but all those involved to the supporting stakeholders.
Then, why is our football often more excited about violence than its achievements? Violence has long been taught indirectly in the life of the nation. Social violence dances in people's subconscious memories without the illumination of awareness, floating in an almost unbroken image. Positive and negative news related to violence is not balanced at all. Violence is often explored naked without adequate accompanying education. Perhaps such information can be a stimulus that slips behind the subconscious of football supporters.
Theoretically, the root of violence appears in the phenomenon of human self-identification into the dichotomy of "self and nature", "we and oneness". This identification breeds hostility, which leads to violence. Perpetrators of violence usually commit acts of violence against victims because as "fellow" humans, they emphasize their self and us.
In the context of the case of violence that occurred at the Kanjuruhan stadium which resulted in the deaths of 127 people (the number could increase), of course, this is not far from the logic of our ego and humanity. Arema Fc's supporters were too fanatical, which led to riots.
The form of ego and our hood often turns into "blind fanaticism", the necessity to win, and an inability to accept defeat. Fatal, forget the nature of art and spirituality of the game of football.
In football, there is an art game that brings entertainment and tension, provokes egoism and solidarity, fosters hope and gaps in reality, as well as the search for identity and self-exploration. Everything often ends in paradox and irony.
Need Awareness
In interpreting the reality of Indonesian football, every one of us should be aware of the existence of the sport in a universal context. Be it players, officials, club owners, government, and other relevant stakeholders. Abroad, for example, football has become a business icon, a symbol of professionalism, and a marker of international cohesion. Why did this situation happen again in Indonesia?
How easy is it for the audience to "burn" the fire of emotion like dry leaves when the champion loses? Will this be the tip of the iceberg of the socio-cultural life of people who are macro-intimidated by the philosophy of violence? The philosophy of violence is ridden by various interests of communal ego, personal, locality, to other interests, – such as gambling –, which is sometimes stronger to control it. So that deviations are easy to occur, such as unprofessional referees and match-fixing as has emerged in the history of Indonesian football.
Then, how to touch a new awareness in developing our football?
First, the awareness of football supporters is needed to understand that football is an art of life that teaches various values of life. Teachings about togetherness, physical strength, skill, mental orchestration, the reality of the art of play, andThe peak is a spiritual teaching that can actually make people aware of the importance of the unity of various cultural backgrounds and ethnic groups. Isn't football neutral?
In the course of world football history, it is often a teaching of spirituality. The adage "It's possible that God lives in the ball" was once so popular that culturalists like Father Sindunata and Gus Dur made jokes like that.
Partial fanaticism of football club supporters must begin to reflect again on the authentic nature of the existence of the art of football spirituality.
Second, the need for awareness of club owners to build professional football that puts forward the philosophy of humanity behind the art of football. Football is not just a matter of win-lose, but a living teaching about the breadth of the cultural dimensions that frame it.
Awareness of the cultural values inherent behind football should be oriented as the highest value, so that clubs, officials, and their owners are always aware and civilized.
Third, the security forces are expected to take the path of humanity in guarding a football match. What the security forces do by spraying tear gas is actually prohibited under FIFA rules.
The "violent" approach, for example, is far from the philosophy of football. The choice of communication method by constantly socializing the nature of civilized football may be a subconscious door in minimizing the roots of instinctive violence. However, the organizing committee often violates the tolerated "safety rules". Reportedly the tolerance of the audience that the police indicated was 25,000 people, but in reality it was more than the "capacity" of security.
Fourth, creating transparent and accountable rules for organizing football leagues, the government is present by controlling the possible roots of social violence on a macro basis, with actions that "punish", but educate or "reward", but do not soften.
Every match, perhaps it is important to think about fair play awards for spectators or supporters of a club, not just for players.
Fifth, the importance of cultivating the value of awareness behind football. Club owners together with community leaders and public officials always remind how football will be meaningless if the soul behind the spirituality of football is not grown and imitated.
What was ordered by Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas in the First National Sports and Arts Week (Pesona) PTKIN, last August, is certainly a good example. Art and sports, said Gus Yaqut, have an important relationship with spiritual values, including increasing faith in God.
Let's learn such examples from Muslim football players around the world, such as Mohammad Salah, Karim Benzema, Mezut Otzil, Sami Khedira, Frank Ribery, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Shamir Nasri. They appear disciplined, committed, responsible, collegial, and have an extraordinary awareness of working together, both when playing in their respective clubs and countries. In the month of fasting, for example, they do not leave fasting in the game.
Finally, let's be a learning ball society. Whoever we are in enjoying soccer is always driven by an essential awareness of the existence of a sporting art that is actually also a soul. The holy spirit will purify the souls of everyone related to football matches.
May the tragedy of the deaths of 127 people in Kanjuruhan be the last. A cracked mirror that can move and awaken all parties.