Proliga set to serve up new season
Proliga set to serve up new season
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The 2004 Proliga, a national semi-professional volleyball
league, will commence here on Friday for its opening three-day
competition.
The matches will be staged at the Bung Karno Basketball Hall
in Senayan, Central Jakarta, with Jakarta Phinisi defending its
men's championship against newcomer Semarang Berlian on Saturday.
The women's defending champion Art Deco will play its first
match on Sunday against Yogyakarta Gunadarma.
There are twelve teams -- six each in the men's and women's
division -- in the league played in a round-robin format in which
the teams will face each other in six legs in five different
cities.
The participating teams in the men's division are Jakarta
Phinisi, Jakarta Monas, Bandung Telkomsel, Yogya Gunadarma,
Surabaya Flame Samator and Semarang Berlian.
The women's competition consists of Jakarta Phinisi, Jakarta
Monas, Bandung Art Deco, Yogya Gunadarma, Gresik Phonska
Petrokimia and Jakarta Elektrik.
Meanwhile, Rita Subowo, the chairwoman of the Indonesian
Volleyball Association (PBVSI), said that with foreign players
involved in the competition, the league was expected to spur the
development of volleyball in the country.
He also hoped that other countries in the region would follow
suit for the possibility of the creation of regional league.
"I am hopeful that this league will be able to encourage other
countries in the region, particularly in the Southeast Asia, to
hold similar leagues," she announced during a press conference
here on Wednesday.
Each team is allowed a maximum of two foreign players. The
league offers a total of Rp 380 million (US$44,700) in cash
prizes.
After the round in Jakarta, the competition will go to Gresik,
East Java, at Tridarma Sports Hall from April 23 to 25, in
Yogyakarta at Among Rogo Sports Hall from April 30 to May 2.
An All-Star game will be played before the competition resumes
with the round in Bandung at C-tra Arena Sports Hall from May 14
to 16, Semarang at Jati Diri Sports Hall from May 21 to 23 and
back to Jakarta, from May 28 to 30.
The semifinals and final are scheduled for June 11 and 12 in
Jakarta at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium.