IBF has other sponsors

IBF has other sponsors

JAKARTA (JP): International Badminton Federation (IBF) vice
chairman Justian Suhandinata said yesterday that the federation
had an alternative sponsor if Indonesia-based cigarette company,
PT. HM. Sampoerna, withdrew from the Thomas and Uber Cups
championships in Hong Kong in May.

"The IBF is optimistic that we can still stage the events on
time because we have an alternative if the main sponsor cannot
fulfill its promise," he said.

"Some Asian countries agreed at the Asian Badminton
Confederation's executive committee meeting in Manila last week
to financially help the IBF to stage the event," he added.

Japan, South Korea and China Taipei have agreed to pay for the
sponsorship boards around the courts.

"Promoter IMG (International Management Group) will also
provide US$5,000," Justian said.

It is feared Asia's economic turmoil might force HM. Sampoerna
to pull out from sponsoring the $1 million event.

Justian said IMG should have submitted a 30 percent down
payment to the IBF on Jan. 1. But due to the rupiah's
depreciation against US dollar, IMG failed to hand over the
money.

Antara reported that South Korea has been named to replace
Hong Kong as the championships host but that the move would be
delayed to January 1999.

Justian said it was impossible to stage the championships in
Europe due to sponsorship problems and that the IBF had always
suffered a deficit when staging the biennial event in Europe.
(yan)