Volleyball body to launch new league to boost teams

Volleyball body to launch new league to boost teams

BOGOR, West Java (JP): In a bid to reach new levels in both
Asia and internationally, the Indonesian Volleyball Association
plans to establish a competitive league with the best teams from
across the country.

An association executive, Doedi Gambiro, said the league would
be played in a full season, pitting clubs which regularly
competed in the national championships and the annual inter-
company tournament, currently the country's most prestigious
volleyball competitions currently.

"The two tournaments have failed to nurture a strong national
team, particularly because their participants play just a few
matches," Doedi said at a media get-together here over the
weekend.

"Apart from intensifying promotion of the sport, the new
league will provide players with more exposure in order to make
them get used to demanding competitions."

The league, with divisions for both sexes, will start soon,
Doedi said, but he did not disclose the schedule.

He said preparations for the league were underway, with the
national volleyball body selecting deserving clubs nationwide
based on performances in the PLN Cup in November last year.

Eight teams will qualify for the first divisions of both
sexes, according to Doedi. Another eight teams will join the
second division.

The teams will play round-robin matches, with the top four
teams in the first division qualifying to vie for the
championship trophy.

Doedi said the format for the final four competitions had yet
to be decided.

The bottom four teams in the first division will be relegated,
and they will be replaced by the top four teams from the second
division.

"We will provide train tickets and accommodation subsidies for
each club which is playing an away match," Doedi said. He did not
elaborate on the cost of the subsidization to the national
volleyball body, which is chaired by Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, the
social services minister. (emf/amd)