Sports council calls for more SEA Games sponsors
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)