Profile Of Eko Agus Sugiharto, A Referee From South Sumatra Who Gets A Crude Bogem During PON Matches

YOGYAKARTA - Eko Agus Sugiharto is a football referee who is now the center of public attention after leading the match between Aceh and Central Sulawesi at the XXI Aceh-North Sumatra National Sports Week (PON) 2024. The following is Eko Agus Sugiharto's profile.

Please note, Eko Agus Sugiharto led the 2024 PON quarter-final match on Saturday, September 14, 2024. In the match which took place at the Dimurthala Stadium, Banda Aceh, Eko Agus Sugiharto drew a lot of controversy.

Please note, high tensions color the quarter-final match of PON XXI Aceh-Sumut 2024 between Aceh vs Central Sulawesi. The match had to be temporarily suspended due to the incident of beating the referee by a Central Sulawesi player.

This incident occurred just before the end of the match when the referee awarded a penalty to the host Aceh. Not accepting the referee's decision, the player of Central Sulawesi, Muhammad Rizki, then took an disgraceful act by hitting referee Eko Agus Sugiharto.

Not just any referee, Eko Agus Sugiharto is a national licensed referee from Ogan Komering Ulu (OKU) Timur Regency, South Sumatra.

Eko's experience in the world of refereeing has actually expanded to various levels of national football competition.

Interestingly, apart from being a referee, Eko also works as a sports teacher at SMPN 2 Belitang Jaya, East OKU. Eko's ability to lead the match is often praised, as well as showing his skills as an experienced referee on the field.

Based on data from the Higher Education Database (PDDIKTI) of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Research and Technology, Eko Agus Sugiharto is a graduate of STKIP Dharma Wacana with a Bachelor of Education from the Sports Training Education Study Program.

Eko Agus, who is now 39 years old, was last active as a referee in the 2022/2023 Indonesian League 2 competition season.

On September 5, 2022, Eko was recorded to lead the match between PSCS Cilacap vs Persipa Pati which ended in a 1-1 draw. Just five days later, he returned to duty in the PSMS Medan match against Karo United FC which ended with a score of 1-0.

However, the incident in the match between Aceh vs Central Sulawesi has become a stain in Eko Agus Sugiharto's career. His decision during the match caused controversy that football fans and related parties are still debating.

One of the most questionable decisions was the last-minute penalty, which sparked a violent act by Muhammad Rizki.

The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia Commission X has requested the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and all relevant parties to conduct an in-depth investigation into incidents of violence against Eko Agus.

Commission X encourages special investigations related to the incident of the referee's beating in the match that brought together the team from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Central Sulawesi.

In more detail, read also the article discussing Highlighting Referee Controversy at PON XXI, DPR Asks Organizers to be Completely Evaluated

Members of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) have urged that perpetrators of violations in football matches between Aceh vs. Central Sulawesi be given severe sanctions. In addition, they asked for an in-depth investigation into the referee's performance in the match.

According to Commission X, this investigation is not only limited to beatings, but must also investigate the factors that triggered the violence.

In addition to Eko Agus Sugiharto's profile, follow other interesting articles too, yes. Want to know other interesting information? Don't miss it, keep an eye on the updated news from VOI and follow all the social media accounts!