UNAIR NEWS – After a week of Kanjuruhan tragedy, this is still a time of great sorrow for the Indonesian football. The loss of life in this match left a big question mark because a sports match must uphold the value of sportsmanship.

In this regard, the Postgraduate School of Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held online Airlangga Forum #102 on “Human Resources and Sportsmanship” on Friday, October 7, 2022. It discusses from an academic point of view what needs to be evaluated regarding the incident that claimed 131 lives.

One of the speakers of the webinar, Dr (Cand) Hendro Puspito SE MPSDM, as Head of the UNAIR Postgraduate School Student Association, regretted the condition of the Kanjuruhan stadium, which was over capacity when the incident occurred. “The capacity of Kanjuruhan Stadium is 38 thousand, but I read the news that the tickets in circulation were 42 thousand, meaning there was over capacity,” he said.

According to Hendro, the negligence of the security management was also the cause of many casualties in Kanjuruhan tragedy. Unfortunately, the victims were dominated by productive age, which is the nation’s asset.

“When it comes to badminton, when we hold events, ambulances, medical teams, police, are always on standby even the sponsors provide education and K3 training before the event is held. It is important. We also have to see the capacity of the building and follow the SOP,” said the General Secretary of the East Java Provincial Badminton Association (PBSI).

Furthermore, he also emphasized there is another issue concerns with the mindset of the supporters. The mindset must be changed, it should prioritizes self-confidence as well as rationality rather than feelings. “What happened in Kanjuruhan, the hardest problem was the mindset because it lays on insecurity rather than believing in the ability of their favorite team, so they felt too much anxiety in fear of losing,” he explained.

The Kanjuruhan incident, which attracted the sympathy of the world, has tarnished the reputation. On the other hand, it is the right moment to end the rivalry between fans because sports are entertainment that should improve harmony.

In the end, Hendro highlighted the importance of sportsmanship in a game. He also appreciated the high level of solidarity of football supporters and hoped that they would be able to maintain harmony.

“Hopefully, this tragedy in Kanjuruhan will be the last. All supporters in Indonesia, especially football fans, are expected to be supporters with dignity, ethics, and have a good impact on our nation,” concluded the President Director of PT Sinergi Inti Mineral.

Author: Sela Septi Dwi Arista

Editor: Nuri Hermawan