PBVSI to launch pro league in 2001

PBVSI to launch pro league in 2001

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Volleyball Federation (PBVSI)
will kick off a professional indoor volleyball league and beach
volleyball circuit in the middle of 2001.

PBVSI chairwoman Rita Subowo said on Friday during a breaking
of the fast gathering the professional indoor volleyball league
would include eight men's teams and eight women's teams.

She said the league was aimed at providing players more games.
Currently, PBVSI stages interprovince and interclub tournaments
once a year.

The top sixteen clubs from the interclub tournament will
compete in the league.

"The 2001 league will have regular matches starting in July or
August and will last for six months. Each club can hire a
maximum of two foreign players. The clubs can benefit from
participating in the league because games will be aired live on
TV."

Rita said clubs must pay a joining fee of Rp 500 million
(US$54,000) to compete in the league.

"Insya Allah (God willing), we are optimistic many clubs will
join the league. The purpose of making the joining fee high is to
screen clubs and get the best ones in the league."

The PBVSI official in charge of competition, Hanny S.
Surkatty, said the league would use the home-and-away system of
competition. He said a number of clubs had showed interest in the
idea of a professional league.

"The league will use International Volleyball Federation rule.
Clubs can have players from Asia or South America. We'll also
employ local referees who have international certificates.

"In the future, we hope to establish a national team from the
players competing in the league," he said.

Hanny also said clubs would be allowed to find their own
sponsors, because "clubs must pay the salaries of the players".

He also said both PBVSI and the clubs could profit from the
league. "The clubs will benefit from the ticket sales and by
attracting sponsors, as the league games will be aired on TV.
PBVSI itself will profit from the TV rights and sponsorships."

Hanny said PBVSi would announce the details of the league in
January.

Despite the optimism of PBVSI officials, Bank BNI club coach
Teuku Djohan was wary of the idea.

"I'm not too optimistic about the idea. A club will have
problems raising the Rp 500 million joining fee. If a company
that sponsors a volleyball team is to consider competing in the
league, it must first know what benefits it can get from the
league in return for paying so much money. I hope the league will
not be too ambitious a project.

"If a club can hire foreign players, where will it find
players who want to play in Indonesian? The skills of our
volleyball players are far below their counterparts in Southeast
Asia. I think there will be a wide gap between local and foreign
players." (ivy)