BLITAR – M. Samanhudi Anwar won the election for chairman of the Blitar City branch of Komite Olahraga Nasional Indonesia after securing victory in the city sports congress on Monday. The result quickly sparked controversy after Samanhudi accused the local government of interfering in the election process.
Samanhudi defeated rival candidate Tony Andreas by seven votes during the Musyawarah Olahraga Kota, locally known as Musorkot. The congress gathered representatives from sports organizations across Blitar City to select new leadership for the regional sports body.
Shortly after the announcement, the former mayor of Blitar said he entered the race because sports associations wanted KONI to remain under the leadership of a local figure.
“I actually did not want to become KONI chairman,” Samanhudi said. “But sports branches asked for a native Blitar figure to lead the organization.”
He argued that local sports organizations should operate independently without political involvement or outside pressure. According to him, government agencies should not interfere in sports administration or organizational elections.
“This is about the dignity of sports,” he said. “Sports activists should manage KONI, not government institutions.”
Samanhudi also openly alleged interference during the election process. He claimed several parties supported certain candidates behind the scenes. However, he did not publicly identify individuals involved in the alleged intervention.
“There was interference, and I have evidence,” he said. “I am speaking about institutions, not individuals.”
Despite the controversy, Samanhudi described the election result as proof that sports associations still hold strong influence in determining the direction of sports leadership in Blitar.
He said candidates backed by local authorities often dominate similar elections. However, he claimed this year’s result showed that sports communities could still make independent decisions.
Samanhudi also responded to criticism and rejection that emerged before the congress took place. He insisted that his candidacy followed all organizational rules and internal regulations.
“I understand the law and the rules,” he said. “I did not violate any organizational regulations or bylaws.”
The election has drawn public attention in Blitar because of Samanhudi’s political background and his strong statements after securing victory in the closely contested vote.