Indonesian basketball season to start
Indonesian basketball season to start
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian basketball league will introduce a relegation system when the new season of competition starts at the end of this month in Surabaya, East Java.
League secretary Deddy Gumbiro said yesterday that a second division will, from now on, run together with the primary league, which features 10 teams.
The top two teams from the second division will meet the two bottom teams from the premier division in playoff games, vying for two places in the President Cup race next season.
"We expect to set up a more competitive season, in which we can find players who will represent Indonesian in international events," Deddy said.
However, the new plan faces a blow as league administrators have yet to make sufficient entries for the second division league. "Only four teams have confirmed their participation so far," said Deddy.
The administrators are expecting to stage a 10-field, second division league in a round-robin competition. Deddy said he hoped to complete the lineup for the second division league by the end of this month.
Foreign cagers will continue their pivotal role in boosting the performance of local talents in the incoming season of the first division league. Local TV station SCTV, which has been named the agent of import players, has injected six new recruits into the 10 premiership sides.
Defending champion Hadtex of Bandung, West Java has hired Ray Kelly, while fellow Bandung side Siliwangi recruited Charles Jones. Indonesia Muda of Jakarta picked Trasel Rone and last year's runner-up Aspac got Askia Jones. GJ Hunter goes to Pacific of Surabaya and Alvin Brown joins another Surabaya club CLS.
Another two imported players, Paul Johnson, expected to spearhead Bima Sakti of Malang, East Java and Keith Kelly, bound to Pelita Jaya, canceled their Indonesian debut due to injuries.
The season will be split into four legs, played successively in Surabaya from May 20 to May 25, Jakarta from July 4 to July 9, Bandung from July 18 to July 23 and Malang from Aug. 29 to Sept. 3.
Four top teams will qualify for the finals, to be held from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, in Jakarta. (amd)