Becoming A League 1 Sponsor, BRI Saves The Fate Of 24,000 People Who Depend On The Football Industry

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk. (BRI) Sunarso ensured that the company was ready to become the main sponsor (title sponsor) of the highest football competition in the country, namely BRI Liga 1 for the 2021/2022 season.

This he conveyed in a press conference which was broadcast virtually together with the General Chairperson of the All-Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and also the competition organizer, namely PT Liga Indonesia Baru today.

"We express our appreciation for the trust given to BRI to support the progress of national football," he said, Thursday, August 12.

According to Sunarso, this contribution is considered quite strategic in supporting the community's economic activities. The reason is, there are tens of thousands of people who depend on the existence of football competitions in the country.

"Citing the research results of the University of Indonesia's Institute for Economic and Community Research (LPEM UI), it turns out that the economic loss from the cessation of domestic football competitions reaches Rp. 2.7 trillion to Rp. 3 trillion per year. In addition, there are 24,000 people who are directly involved in the national football industry," he said.

Sunarso added that on this basis the company as a state-owned enterprise felt that it had to take strategic steps to revive football competition in order to support the government's efforts to restore the national economy.

"Seeing the sizeable economic impact, BRI considers it necessary to support national football," he said.

Furthermore, the boss of the biggest bank in the country also revealed that his party has social motivation by becoming a League 1 sponsor.

"Through the competition, we hope that it will make it easier for PSSI to choose national team players, so that they can raise the achievements of Indonesian football in the international arena. So, the competition must be rolled out,” he explained.

To note, the Indonesian football competition has experienced a vacuum after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic since the beginning of last year. It was noted that the sporting event with the most fans had not run a competition for a year and a half.

The urge to hold the annual soccer agenda is getting stronger after similar competitions have been held in several neighboring countries by implementing strict health protocols and without the presence of spectators in stadiums.

"Hopefully with the passing of the football competition, it can provide the best benefits for the nation, state, and society," concluded Sunarso.