JAKARTA (ANTARA) – Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) CEO Junas Miladyarsyah stressed the importance of the 2024 IBL All-Indonesia Tournament in fostering a more advanced and rapidly evolving basketball ecosystem in Indonesia.
The tournament, scheduled to be held at Hall A Basket Senayan in Jakarta from Sept 22 to Oct 6, aims to provide more playing time for local players.
“From an ecosystem perspective, the tournament is also valuable in preventing excessive gaps between seasons,” Junas said Thursday.
He noted that the tournament will be beneficial for both teams and players as most players are contracted with their clubs for a year, from January to December.
The tournament will feature foreign and indigenous players as well as naturalized local players.
However, each team may only include one naturalized player.
“As defined in the rules, naturalized athletes are considered local athletes and are eligible to participate, but this rule will come into effect starting with local tournaments in 2022,” Junas explained.
The IBL management is also in contact with the Indonesian Basketball Association (PP Perbasi) regarding the tournament.
The tournament is expected to have a positive impact on the development of local players and teams, as well as the overall popularity of basketball in Indonesia.
Although basketball has become more popular in Indonesia in recent years, soccer remains the country’s most popular sport.
Indonesia’s top professional basketball league, the IBL, also attracts talented players from both within and outside the country.
Indonesia will co-host the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup with the Philippines and Japan, despite the national team failing to finish in the top eight in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup and missing out.
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Translated by Donny Aditola and Aditya Eko Sigit Wikaksono
Editor: Anton Santoso
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