State bank to sponsor Ligina

JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) will sign a sponsorship deal with state Bank Mandiri next week to support the sixth Indonesian Soccer League (Ligina), a PSSI official said on Friday.

Marketing and promotion chief Dimas Wahab said on Friday that Bank Mandiri president Robby Djohan gave his commitment for the bank's sponsorship of the ongoing Ligina in a meeting with PSSI chairman Agum Gumelar on Thursday night.

He would not give the date of the signing and said more details would be released once the deal was formal.

"We will issue the new name and new logo for the league after we sign the contract next week, when we also announce the value of the deal. It's not easy to find sponsors for the league because we can hardly sell our soccer matches," he said.

It was earlier reported that the deal was worth Rp 10 billion (US$1.38 million) for one season. The banks merged into Bank Mandiri were Bank Bumi Daya, Bank Dagang Negara, Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia and Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).

Dimas also said PSSI would issue an agreement with soccer clubs on the use of the Bank Mandiri logo.

"Players from all the clubs are obliged to wear clothes bearing the bank's logo. PSSI will pay the clubs for this. The logo will be small so the clubs can include their own sponsors' logos on their players' apparel," he said.

"PSSI will also pay clubs which display the sponsor's billboard. All cooperation will be purely businesslike. We will appoint a consultant to decide a value which benefits all sides -- PSSI, the clubs and Bank Mandiri," he said.

Dimas said PSSI would also include a special clause in its legal agreement, stating the rights and responsibilities of the three parties. "This clause will protect the rights and the responsibilities of the dealers, so the agreement could benefit all," he said.(ivy)