Promoter pours cold water on Jordan's Jakarta visit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It is very unlikely that National Basketball
\nAssociation great Michael Jordan will come here for a week-long
\nshow in August, according to promoter Ary Sudarsono.<\/p>\n
Jordan is projected to entertain Indonesian basketball fans in
\nthe finals of the Indonesian Basketball League this year (Aug. 7
\nto 10) at Istora Senayan stadium. It was also expected that he
\nwould give basketball in Indonesia a popularity boost by giving
\ncoaching sessions in seven cities.<\/p>\n
\"No agreements have been reached thus far. He and his agency
\nremain firm in demanding an appearance fee which we can't
\nafford,\" Ary said yesterday, declining to mention the sum.<\/p>\n
The 45-year-old promoter has secured financial support from
\nSuwadi Bing Andi, the general affairs manager of the West
\nJavanese textile giant Hadtex Panasia Indosyntex to bring Jordan
\nto Indonesia. Suwadi, who was not at his office in Bandung
\nyesterday, was unavailable for comment.<\/p>\n
Ary said that in addition to the appearance fee, which amounts
\nbillions of rupiah, Jordan demanded a presidential suite in
\nJakarta's best hotel, limousine services and other luxurious
\namenities. Ary quoted Suwadi as saying that such demands were too
\nmuch.<\/p>\n
\"Deep in my heart I want Jordan here. But I must be
\nrealistic...,\" said Ary, himself a basketball player with
\nMasagana 99 club in Manila, the Philippines, from 1979 to 1982.<\/p>\n
However, if there is another party who agrees to cover 75
\npercent of the amount demanded by Jordan, this financial problem
\nwill be solved, Ary told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In 1994, Ary, with financial back-up from a young
\nbusinessperson from the Gunung Agung group, whose name he
\ndeclined to reveal, tried to bring NBA legend Earvin Magic
\nJohnson to Jakarta, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Johnson, an
\nHIV-positive athlete, was denied a visa because government
\nofficials were uneasy about having him here.<\/p>\n
\"We had reached an agreement with Johnson. The deal, worth
\nabout Rp 2 billion, included airfares, accommodation, production
\ncosts and the costs for bringing an Australian basketball team
\nhere as Johnson's opponents,\" Ary recalled.<\/p>\n
The situation is different now, Ary said, even if Jordan
\nagrees to be paid Rp 1 billion for appearing here, it is simply
\nimpossible for us to make profit from his visit.<\/p>\n
Istora Senayan stadium can accommodate up to 12,000
\nspectators. To cover a Rp 1 billion fee from ticket sales, each
\nticket would have to be sold for Rp 100,000, which is more than
\nanyone would want to pay. Finding sponsors who are ready to spend
\na great sum of money for Jordan's visit is not easy either. Ary
\npointed out that most of the country's biggest sponsors have been
\ndragged into sponsoring Indonesian athletes for more important
\nevents such as the National Games (Sept. 9 to 20), the Olympic
\nGames in Atlanta, U.S., (July 19 to Aug. 4) and the 19th Southeast
\nAsian Games next year, to which Jakarta will play host.<\/p>\n
Thus, the only choice left is to bring NBA rookie of the year
\nJerry Stackhouse here instead of Jordan. Stackhouse has asked for
\na Rp 600 million appearance fee, which, according to Ary, is
\nokay. \"A contract with Stackhouse can be signed at anytime. But
\nwe are still hoping Jordan and his agency will change their
\nminds,\" Ary said.<\/p>\n
However, Ary said, he felt embarrassed when someone told him
\nthat such a large sum of money would be more useful for Jakarta's
\nbasketball community if it was used for building a newer, more
\nmodern basketball hall than the old Senayan Basketball Hall.
\n(arf)<\/p>",
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