Kobatama to preserve players ruling

Kobatama to preserve players ruling

JAKARTA (JP): The national basketball league, Kobatama, will kick off its third season next month with foreign players preserving their old roles.

The league's administrator, Budi Rustanto, made sure yesterday that each of the 10 participating clubs will field two foreign signings in every game it plays this season.

"It's absolutely a matter of sponsors," Budi said after a meeting with the 10 clubs. He added that the decision was originally made during a meeting between the Indonesian Basketball Association and the National Sports Council last month.

Budi earlier pushed the idea of reducing the number of foreign players to only one for each club in a game, saying that import cagers tend to be too dominant and reduce their local teammates to mere assistants.

The league opened it doors to foreign players in 1994. But a recent move that requires a club hires at least one imported player has caused Halim of Kediri, East Java, to pull out of the league. Previously relegated Glory of Semarang, Central Java will take Halim's place.

Yesterday's meeting disclosed that 10 foreign cagers who played last season had extended their contracts with their respective clubs. Budi said basketball enthusiasts will see newcomers from Russia join the league.

Ary Sudarsono, administrative director of the league, said that the league will kick off in Surabaya on April 9. The opening match will be aired by the Surabaya-based private TV network SCTV, one of the sponsors of the league.

The second leg will be played in Semarang. The league will then move to Jakarta for the third leg, and will wind up in Bogor and Cirebon, West Java.

Ary said that defending champion Aspac planned to invite an NBA player in the final leg. Aspac, however, has yet to give more details on the rare guest. (05)