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)