Segiri Stadium, Samarinda
A pride of Samarinda, Theater of Hell
In the beginning of Putra Mahakam or PUMA FC participation in some competition in this country, Segiri Stadium has been their home base. In this stadium, the history of Samarinda football was happened.
In its first performance in LIGINA I, Segiri Stadium has been a home base to Putra Samarinda FC (club new name), here, in this stadium Pesut Mahakam always welcome the away team and entertains Samarinda citizen.
From the year 1998 to 1999 the competition was stopped due to political riot during that period. And Samarinda citizen had an opportunity to see some performance of players like Roger Miilla (from Cameron) in that theater of hell.
But unfortunately, this club progress was declining. Until the club tossed to the bottom position in the first division and have to be play in the second division. Segiri Stadium became a silent witness of the up and down in Samarinda football history.
After the dissolution of PUSAM FC at that time, this stadium became neglected. The stadium’s condition at the past was so terrible.
But the story never had its end. It was proven that public’s interest to football is unbreakable. With the joining of Persisam Putra Samarinda in some competition, Segiri Stadium was “revive”.
With the licensee of PUSAM FC, Persisam Putra Samarinda started to crawl up to the same level of another elite clubs in Indonesia. But unfortunately, Segiri Stadium failed to pass the verification to hold a competition when Persisam Putra played in Division II Indonesian League in the year of 2004.
Luckily we have another home base stadium; Sempaja Stadium became the home base of Persisam Putra, according to the verification standard by PSSI. Even, the former PSSI chief, Agum Gumelar, also surprised and amazed how a stadium which has a great stadium as Segiri Stadium could just have a club that play in the “lower” level in Indonesia leagues.
By chance, in the middle of its revival to go to the higher level (Division II – Division I – Premier League); a great renovation is done to Segiri Stadium. With the upcoming PON XVII in East Kalimantan in the year 2008, government built another stadium in Palaran. The stadium is very big, the second biggest stadium in Indonesia, after Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta.
After the event PON XVII ended, the new face of Segiri Stadium accompanied Persisam Putra as a home base while in Premier League (Divisi Utama) until Persisam Putra became the champion of that competition. Persisam Putra Samarinda now in the same level to another elite club in Indonesia, and joined the Indonesia Super League. Again, Pesut Mahakam could not use Segiri as its home base, because of stadium’s verification standard.
But, having a great and impressive stadium like Palaran as home base, Persisam Putra Samarinda progress was not in harmony with the famous of the stadium. Thus, forced the management to move the home base back to Segiri Stadium again. The “holy” place for Persisam Putra Samarinda and their loyal supporters, Pusamania. Up to nowadays, Segiri Stadium has been a home base for Persisam Putra Samarinda. This place which is famous by the name of The Theater of Hell is the only stadium in Indonesia which is managed by the supporters themselves.