State bank to sponsor Ligina

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)