Sports council calls for more SEA Games sponsors

JAKARTA (JP): The National Sports Council is trying to attract more sponsorship for the 19th SEA Games to be held here in October.

The council has collected Rp 16 billion so far through the SEA Games consortium from national and multi-national company sponsorships.

The consortium's business promotion deputy, Enggartiasto Lukita, yesterday called for more companies to sponsor the fast approaching SEA Games.

"The consortium has been trying to promote the fact that private sector sponsorship has a role to play in 19th SEA Games," he said, after signing a cooperation deal between the consortium and Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd.

The agreement names Tiger Beer the official beverage of the 19th SEA Games. The agreement was also signed by the company's marketing group deputy general manager, Sam Ang.

The deal covers the promotion of the 19th SEA Games through posters and television commercials in ten other countries.

Enggartiasto said he hoped other national companies would follow the Asia Pacific Breweries example to make the possibly Rp 104 billion SEA Games a success.

Ang said Tiger Beer would contribute financially to the costly regional sporting event.

He said Tiger Beer was the official beverage at the 17th SEA Games in Singapore in 1993.

Tiger Beer was also the official beer of the Asian Basketball Confederation championships in some countries, he said.

Sports council chairman Wismoyo Arismundar has repeatedly expressed his concern about the Games' funds shortfall.

The organizing committee needed more private sector sponsorship to finance the Games, he said Tuesday, after meeting local fencers who will go overseas for trial matches.

The council also urgently needs cash to train athletes at home and abroad.

"Some of our sport federations are asking for more funds to send their athletes abroad for trial matches," he said.

Consortium executive director Bambang Yoga Sugama earlier said the consortium had spent Rp 34.2 million to finance the national training program, despite reports that the training program lacked the money.

He said the consortium would inject an additional Rp 4 billion into the training program and Rp 12 million as a down payment for athletes' accommodation.

On funding, consortium chairman Bambang Trihatmodjo earlier said the consortium would get bank loans if it could not raise the amount needed to stage the event.

The plan was supported by Minister of Youth Affairs and Sport Hayono Isman and members of the House of Representatives.

Hayono said the consortium had enough credibility to secure bank loans to solve the present fund shortage. (03)