Foreign players deployed for pro league's attraction<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Ten volleyball players from several countries were introduced at
\na press conference on Tuesday at the Front Row cafe, a popular
\nsports restaurant\/bar adjacent to the Bung Karno Sports Complex.<\/p>\n
The 10 introduced on Tuesday are part of at least 15 athletes
\nfrom outside Indonesia, most of whom are Australians, who will
\njoin the new Proliga, a local professional volleyball league.<\/p>\n
The league was launched by the Indonesian Volleyball
\nAssociation (PBVSI) through its business arm Profesitama Pro Liga
\n(PPL) with PT Media Lingkar Komunikasi, known as m-lynx, as the
\npromoter.<\/p>\n
Many of the players have national team experience in their
\nrespective countries. Their participation in the league was made
\npossible because there are no competitions in their countries at
\npresent so they have a break until April, when the Proliga, which
\nstarts next month, will have finished competition.<\/p>\n
\"I'm enthusiastic to play here. It should be a lot of fun and
\nI expect close games,\" said Michael Oostryck, who plays for the
\nRossmoyne Club in Perth, Australia. He will join Bandung Tectona
\nhere.<\/p>\n
Joanne Myszka, also from Australia, who said she had played
\nfor the national team, said that she was looking forward to
\nteaming up with her Jakarta Princess squad.<\/p>\n
The organizers said that their arrival was expected to
\nmotivate young Indonesians to become interested in volleyball.<\/p>\n
\"(Poor) regeneration is the impeding factor to the development
\nof volleyball here. This is because young guns, despite their
\npotential, are not enthusiastic about taking up volleyball,\"
\nHanny Rukatty said.<\/p>\n
\"I hope their (overseas players) appearance here will be an
\nattraction to national volleyball.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, local players can learn from their foreign
\ncounterparts about skills. They are accustomed to playing in
\ntight tournaments, so they are in better psychological shape,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
There is no specified contracts between the players and the
\nclubs. The players will only get an \"appearance fee\", but the
\namount was not disclosed.<\/p>\n
Television coverage is largely apportioned for the league. It
\nwill be an entire 36.5 hours of TV broadcast time on state-owned
\nTVRI and private Trans stations, either live or delayed.<\/p>\n
Nine clubs will join the league. But, unlike Perhutani,
\nPetogres, BNI '45 and DPPK, which are already familiar to the
\nIndonesian volleyball community, the nine participating names are
\ntotally new.<\/p>\n
The clubs are Jakarta Prince, Jakarta Patriot, Jakarta
\nPhinisi, Jakarta Monas, Bogor Tunas, Yogya Yuwana, Bandung
\nTectona, Surabaya Flame and Gresik Phonska.<\/p>\n
Except for the last two, each club will field both a men's and
\nwomen's squad for in the inaugural pro league. The Flame will
\nonly field a men's team while the Phonska only a women's.<\/p>\n
Each team must feature at least one international on its
\nsquad. Two is the maximum number. Though, Jakarta Patriot,
\nmanaged by the Army headquarters, is exclusively exempted from
\nthe requirement, with the organizers saying it was Army policy
\nthat they could not allow non-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
Their distribution to each club is being decided by PBVSI.<\/p>\n
\"We have made the decision about the players' distribution at
\nthe moment, but next season we hope the clubs would be more
\nindependent,\" Rita Subowo, PBVSI's chairwoman, said.<\/p>\n
The matches will be held every Friday and Sunday, in two
\nseparate towns, each featuring four men's and four women's teams.
\nJakarta and Gresik will be the venue of the opening matches, with
\nthe Bung Karno Indoor Stadium hosting the opening ceremony.<\/p>",
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