Icuk asks PBSI to improve sponsorship agreement

Icuk asks PBSI to improve sponsorship agreement

JAKARTA (JP): Former world badminton champion Icuk Sugiarto
called on the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) to
improve its performance in raising funds for athletes.

"When shuttlers start to talk about their money, suddenly PBSI
doesn't seem to have any money at all. It is a sign of their poor
performance," he said at his residence.

"In its contract with Japanese sports equipment producer
Yonex, PBSI has limited other companies in becoming cosponsors by
demanding a very high price for the collective sponsorships."

Icuk was responding to demands by Olympic gold medalists
Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan that PBSI allow shuttlers to sign
individual sponsorships.

But PBSI secretary-general Leo Chandra Wiranata has rejected
this possibility, saying the current collective sponsorship
remained the best option for the shuttlers.

The memorandum of understanding between PBSI and Yonex says
other companies are allowed to become cosponsors only if they are
willing to offer a minimum three-year contract valued at
US$300,000. Yonex pays $1 million per year to PBSI.

Icuk said elite players in the country would have no
difficulties signing individual sponsorship deals. However, PBSI
and the players should also consider their teammates at the
Indonesian Badminton Center, he said.

"Only about 25 percent of our elite players would get
individual sponsorships. The reason PBSI opted for the collective
(sponsorship) system is because they also want to share the money
with the other 75 percent," said Icuk, who is in charge of talent
scouting at PBSI.

Citing an example, Icuk said he personally had a sponsorship
offer of $300,000 per year with Yonex in 1987. But PBSI canceled
his contract, saying its policy forbade players from seeking
individual sponsorships.

"With so many stars now, including Candra and Tony, and Taufik
Hidayat and Hendrawan in the singles, I believe they could get a
similar amount or perhaps more than I was offered 13 years ago,"
Icuk said.

Taufik has been offered a contract to endorse Japan's
electronic equipment producer JVC. But he is not allowed to put
the JVC logo on his shirt because the contract is not worth
$300,000.

Icuk also criticized the PBSI policy, saying collective
sponsorships also closed the door on clubs trying to raise funds.

"I experience it myself with ex-club Pelita Bakrie, which was
disbanded several years ago. I signed a contract with Pro-Ace but
when my players were called up to the Indonesian Badminton
Center, they had to use Yonex instead of their own sponsors. This
system leads to people not wishing to sign contracts with PBSI."

Icuk urged PBSI to give a bigger role to clubs by allowing
them to become the athletes' business manager in seeking
sponsors.

"Clubs have the athletes, not PBSI. It is clubs who must find
sponsors. When they already get the sponsors, PBSI only follows
up by preparing the paperwork and receiving the money. But the
majority of the money should go to the players and clubs."

Currently, players receive 50 percent of the money from
sponsorship contracts, with the remaining half going to PBSI.
PBSI then gives 5 percent to its provincial chapters and 5
percent to clubs.

"Ideally, clubs would receive an equal amount as the players,
and PBSI would only get a commission from the deal," Icuk said.

He said a number of large clubs had folded because they never
received anything in return for supplying players to the training
center.

"We spend at least Rp 300 million ($31,600) per year to
develop athletes. When they are sent to the center, we get a big
nothing. PBSI should compensate the clubs."

Icuk said he would bring the problem to next year's congress
of the PBSI Jakarta chapter, before taking the issue to PBSI's
national plenary congress in December 2001. (yan)