m-lynx shifts commitments to Asian beach volleyball circuit

m-lynx shifts commitments to Asian beach volleyball circuit

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sports event promoter m-lynx, which is tied to a four-year
promotion deal with the Indonesian Volleyball Association
(PBVSI), has fallen short of meeting its commitment in the
ongoing national beach volleyball circuit.

But m-lynx will make up for the lapse at the Asian beach
volleyball circuit to follow in September.

m-lynx, short for PT Media Lingkar Komunikasi, was supposed to
find sponsors for the circuit, which is going to round off its
final of the three-series competition at the Bung Karno
Volleyball Hall here on Thursday.

The four-day tournament, which wrapped up its second and third
series in Sidoarjo, East Java, and Yogyakarta respectively, is
featuring 27 men's and 15 women's teams, including four national
pairs currently undergoing training for the 2002 Asian Games.

"I regret to say that m-lynx is unable to get sponsors for the
beach volleyball event," Ndang Mawardi, m-lynx marketing
director, told reporters here on Wednesday.

PBVSI-m-lynx partnership deal was signed last year, with the
recently concluded professional volleyball league being their
first event.

While Proliga, as the professional league is locally known, is
considered to have gone through with a score of sponsors joining
the three-month event, the beach volleyball circuit appears to be
deprived of potential fund providers.

Ndang said that they could secure only one sponsor. "And it
would not cover the cost, which can reach up to Rp 2 billion
(US$215,000)," Ndang said.

PBVSI chairwoman Rita Subowo said that they had had to finance
the event themselves.

"But this has been no serious problem in the partnership as we
have agreed that m-lynx will now cover the Asian circuit," Rita
said when contacted by The Jakarta Post.

The Asian circuit is scheduled to be held in Bali, tentatively
in September. The event will be a warmup for the Asian beach
volleyballers prior to their competition at the Asian Games in
Busan, South Korea, the following month.