Exclusive: IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah: Ideally, Sporting Events Should Be Entertaining

IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah said there were challenges in the new system for the 2024 IBL basketball competition. (Photo Bambang Eros, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Sporting events should ideally be entertaining. According to the CEO of the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) Junas Miradiarsyah, currently in Indonesia not enough people watch sporting events to be entertained. People watching a sporting event should be like watching a music concert. After watching, we feel happy because we were entertained.

Regarding packaging basketball matches into an entertaining event, said Junas Miradiarsyah, the National Basketball Association (NBA), which organizes the United States men's basketball league, is the champion. "Currently, people's expectations for watching a basketball match are not just a match, but also entertainment in the form of a sports match. The IBL concept that we are holding is sportainment, like what the NBA does. People watching NBA games are like watching a concert," he said.

Indeed, continued the man who is a former Kobatama and IBL basketball player, IBL 2024 will not be like what was held by the NBA, National Basketball League (Australia), and B.League (Japan). "Slowly we will improve, so that people watch IBL basketball matches like watching a concert, after watching they are happy because they were entertained," he said.

According to Junas Miradiarsyah, to create an entertaining basketball match, all parties must be involved. "The entertainment element in a basketball match must really be present, not just a complement to fill the break time. All elements must contain entertainment, which is what the organizers of the NBA and other sporting events in America, Japan and Australia are good at. We have started to see events such as badminton, then our celebrities have also been involved in playing in sporting events which is aimed to entertain," he said to Edy Suherli, Ferry Tri Adisasono, Bambang Eros and Irfan Medianto when visiting the VOI office in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, recently.

Apart from that, he also talked about the differences between IBL 2024 and the previous year's event, improvements for the IBL in the future, the quality of Indonesian basketball players, the issue of naturalization in basketball, and that basketball players should be like celebrities who are good on the field and inspiring. Here is the full excerpt.

With the home and away system, said IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah, there is potential for clubs to gain profits from tickets and sponsors. (Photo: Bambang Eros, DI: Raga Granada VOI)

The IBL 2024 event is currently underway. What is the temporary evaluation for this basketball competition which is very popular in Indonesia?

Many changes have been made for IBL 2024. One of them is the match format changing to home and away and the implementation of a salary cap. This system is still under evaluation because it is still new. Various parties, such as players, clubs, management and fans, have played a role in reaching this point. Indeed, it was not easy to reach the situation like now.

This evaluation becomes a note for future improvements. Prior to this season, the IBL used a series system, where matches lasted around 10 days in one city. After that, IBL moved to another city and so on until it was finished. With a home and away system, the club organizes the match. The quality of implementation varies, some are good, moderate, and not very good.

Is there still a gap?

It takes time for all clubs to organize matches of equal quality. This is the first year, and hopefully it will be better in the future. Deficiencies found in implementation are a good thing, because they show room for improvement.

This difference in quality has caused the quality of this year's IBL broadcasts to be uneven, some are good and some are not good, what will be done to improve this?

In terms of the number of viewers, both on the screen and in the stadium, it has increased by more than 50%. However, it is acknowledged that the image quality is not evenly distributed, some are not good and some are not good. This is because not all clubs have good stadiums and building structures that support broadcasts. Examples of good stadiums are Tennis Indoor Senayan, Tangerang and Bogor. Meanwhile, the Simpruk, Bali and Yogyakarta GORs have met the standards.

Do clubs complain about this home and away system, for example because of the increase in organizing funds?

Costs have indeed increased, because previously clubs only came, played and went home. Now, they have to host the games. On the other hand, potential income also increases from tickets and sponsorships.

Can the costs of holding this match be covered by spectator tickets and sponsors?

It depends on the match, who is playing against whom. Big matches usually have a full audience. When you host, the audience should be busy. Every club must have a way to introduce the club and its players to the public. The club must be the pride of its city residents. They can collaborate with local governments, entrepreneurs, and so on as sponsors.

So that the quality of future broadcasts is better, does the IBL have standards for stadiums that can be used?

In fact, IBL already has references regarding buildings and lighting that must be met. However, not all clubs have stadiums that meet standards.

With this home and away system, is there an added value for IBL 2024 when compared to a similar event last year?

This home and away system builds fan fanaticism. The team will play in their home city and once again play away at the opponent's place. With this system, basketball fans from Bali, for example, will emerge and develop during matches in their city. It is hoped that the club's income will also increase from sponsors and spectator arrivals. That will be the measure going forward.

How does the basketball competition here compare to neighboring countries?

Within ASEAN, what IBL is doing is of concern. This is something brave. IBL is realizing plans made in 2019. Since 2020, IBL has been conducting outreach to clubs. And only in 2024 will this be implemented. Before making this plan, IBL had researched leagues in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. This home and away system has not yet been implemented in ASEAN countries, but has been implemented in America, Australia and Japan.

For IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah, recruiting players through naturalization is fine, provided that local players are not excluded. (Photo Bambang Eros, DI Raga Granada VOI)

In Indonesia, football and badminton are still popular sports. What are the challenges of holding IBL amidst the dominance of these two sports?

It's true, it's different in each country. In Indonesia, in fact football and badminton are still the most popular. The challenge is how to make basketball more popular and liked by the public. For us, holding good and consistent competitions is important to maintain the popularity of this sport. The next thing that is no less important is to make basketball players into heroes who can be a spectacle and also an inspiration. In America, Michael Jordan is much bigger than his club, the Chicago Bulls.

Our hope is that the presence of Yuda Saputra, for example, who plays at the Prawira Harum Bandung club, can create more basketball fans in Bandung. If this can be duplicated in other cities that also have basketball clubs, that would be great.

How is the regeneration of basketball players in Indonesia?

Currently, every club recruits young players. The hope is that the track records of these players will be monitored from age group, middle and high school, university students, until they are active in the league. These people, if possible, have an identity that can summarize their development and achievements from the bottom up to the professional level. This is useful for players, clubs and leagues who will exploit their potential.

Then, regarding competition scheduling, the Student League and IBL schedules must not conflict. There are also regulations regarding players with rookie status who play in the IBL. If he is still a student, he is still given the opportunity to play in the Student League for two years, the aim is to increase the player's playing time.

Not long ago we held Fiba Asia and the 2023 World Cup, what are the lessons from this event?

Holding an international event requires careful planning. For the 2023 World Cup, the planning is 4-5 years. We won the bidding in 2017, more than 5 years of preparation for the match we watched 10-11 that day.

Nowadays, people's expectations of watching a basketball game are not just the game, but also the entertainment. The IBL concept is sportainment, like what is done in the NBA. Watching a match is like watching a concert. In Indonesia it's not like that yet, slowly we will change it, so that people watching a basketball match are like watching a concert, and after watching they are happy because they were entertained.

The entertainment element in a basketball match must really be present, not just a complement to fill your break time. All elements must contain entertainment, which is what the organizers of the NBA and other sporting events in America, Japan and Australia are good at. In Indonesia, things like badminton have started to happen, and our celebrities have also been involved in sporting events whose aim is to entertain.

The issue of naturalization also occurs in basketball, like what happens in basketball?

In my opinion, naturalization is a natural thing that we need to do. The aim is to catch up and speed up the process of increasing our ranking on the world stage. Especially for basketball, nature is size and genetics. This is not to belittle Indonesians in general, but on the international stage we have to look at our opponents, what kind of player their players are. How do we compete with the posture of the average Indonesian. Therefore, it is necessary to look for superior seeds, one of which is through naturalization. Not only Indonesia, other countries also carry out naturalization and the results are good for their national teams.

There are people who are critical, this naturalization could hinder local seeds, what is your response?

I don't see this naturalization killing local seeds, this can happen at the same time. In football that happens too. Although many naturalized players were recruited, many local players were also taken. Sport is about competing to be the best. Naturalized players join local players to form our national team. There is a transfer of knowledge and culture with the entry of naturalized players. 

For basketball, who are the naturalized players?

Currently there are Brandon Jawato, Jamarr Andre Johnson, Ebrahim Enguio Lopez, Anthony Hargrove Jr., Anthony Wayne Cates Jr., Lester Prosper, Dame Diagne, Serigne Modou Kane, Marques Bolden, Anthony Beane Jr., and others. They come not only to play but also to bring knowledge, culture and ways of thinking as professional basketball players. All of this must be picked up by local players.

Naturalization is a shortcut to increasing performance, do you agree?

Yes, that's possible too. But I prefer the term acceleration. Naturalization is carried out in many countries and the world basketball federation does not prohibit it. So, why don't we do it too?

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia used to have difficulty beating the Philippines, but at the 2023 SEA Games the men's and women's basketball teams won gold medals, is there a correlation with naturalization?

The 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh Cambodia is indeed history for our basketball team. Both presented gold medals. This is the first in the history of sports events for Southeast Asian countries. Is there a correlation with naturalization? In my opinion, the Indonesian men's team's victory against the Philippines was a combination of naturalization factors and the contribution of local players. In the Indonesian team there is Derrick Michael, he is not a naturalized player. He made a career from the bottom in Indonesia. Because he is very talented, he can play abroad and also enter the national team. At that time, he and Marques Bolden, etc., were able to beat the Philippines, whose players were taller than us, and whose ranking was also above us. They work together to present the best for the country. I express my appreciation to all of them.

What is the world ranking for Indonesian basketball?

If I'm not mistaken, Indonesia is ranked 74th. By participating in competitions in international events, I am sure that Indonesia's ranking will rise again from what it is now.

In IBL 2024, who are the players who need attention, can they be local, naturalized or foreign players?

Nowadays there are many good players competing in the IBL. There is Arki Dikania Wisnu who is already a senior but still performing well. Then there is Andakara Prastawa Dhyaksa, Abraham Damar at a mature age. Vincent Rivaldi, Kevin Yonas Sitorus, who are at the peak of their performance. At the same time new generations emerged such as; Yudha Saputra, Muhammad Arigie, Isaiah Saudale, Muhammad Fhirdan Guntara, Antoni Erga, so this IBL is a big pool that brings together senior and junior players. I am sure that many generations will easily follow in the footsteps of the players who are currently active in the IBL.

In the future, is there still wide open space for basketball to develop in Indonesia?

Yes, the names I mentioned earlier already have fans. Their popularity as athletes began to rise. That's what we hope for. They are not only good in the field, but also inspire many people.

What is your input for our basketball players, so that they can become heroes like Michael Jordan and other famous names?

The sport of basketball will grow. For a player, he can no longer only think about himself. He must have a responsibility to the fans. The match was part of "serving" fans. After the match, how can you greet and pay attention to fans? How to communicate with fans well, accept criticism well. Because the public spotlight is getting bigger, player communication with all parties must be good.

Can you recommend the best basketball team in the youth category and could be an inspiration?

This is my personal choice based on their performance in IBL. Other people may be different: Yudha Saputra (Prawira Harum Bandung), Muhamad Arigi (Pelita Jaya Bakrie Jakarta), Daffa Dhoifullah (Pacific Caesar Surabaya), Argus Sanyudy (Rans Simba Bogor), Bagir Alhadar (Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta). They are not only good but have the potential to become an inspiration to the public. Hopefully what I didn't mention can follow and be even better.

 

Junas Miradiarsyah Can't Get Away From Basketball

Said IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah, ideally sporting events watched by many people should be entertaining. (Photo Bambang Eros, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Since childhood, Junas Miradiarsyah has been interested in basketball. He intensively practiced basketball from middle school, high school to college. Even after working and becoming a professional, his work could not be far from basketball. Now he is the CEO of the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) after previously being the CEO of the Student League.

“Since I was little, I really liked basketball. Although when I was little there were many popular sports such as football, badminton and others. I'm not interested in playing, so I only like basketball," admitted the man born in Jakarta, June 11, 1980.

It could be said that Junas is a person who focuses on his hobbies. When other people are excited about football, badminton and other sports, he is not interested. From middle school, high school to his studies at the college level, he never turned his back on basketball.

Due to his seriousness in basketball, Junas took part in Kobatama 1999 and IBL 2003. And from basketball he has earned pocket money and can buy personal necessities and can help his parents.

Apart from basketball, Junas is also interested in the world of art. After playing basketball he studied guitar. “Basketball practice is getting more intense and guitar lessons are too. So my routine outside of school is just those two things, basketball and music," he said.

From guitar picking he switched to bass. “When I was in high school, my friends formed a band. Because many people are good at guitar, I am self-conscious. Finally moving on to bass. After trying it, it was really fun and continued until I became a bassist until now," said the bassist of the band Stepforward.

Stepforward Still There

Junas Miradiarsyah neatly divides his time studying and working by playing basketball and pursuing his hobby  of music. (Photo Bambang Eros, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Stepforward band members; Jennifer Jill (vocals), Ricky Siahaan (guitar), Fajar (drums), and Junas (bass),  were not all pure musicians and only had careers in one place, making the existence of this metal-based band rise and fall. “We are still there, but appearing in public is rare. Ricky plays in the band Seringai, his schedule is busy. Meanwhile, Fajar in the band Alexa has a busy schedule. Meanwhile our vocalist; Jill is a busy broadcaster. And I am a professional who is now managing IBL," he said.

During the last pandemic, on Stepforward's 25th birthday, they re-recorded old songs on their album. "Because of the pandemic, we didn't do much, so we finally got together and re-recorded two old songs," said Junas, who together with Stepforward released the album Stories of Undying Hope (2001).

In the future, whether Stepforward will have any more projects, Junas can't say yet. "In the near future there are no plans whether to make another album or have a reunion. If there is something, then we'll gather again," he said.

After College, Focus On Work

Ideally, said IBL CEO Junas Miradiarsyah, a basketball player, apart from being good on the field, must also inspire the public. (Photo Bambang Eros, DI Raga Granada VOI)

Even though he couldn't leave basketball, Junas Miradiarsyah shifted his priorities to the world of work after studying at the Department of International Relations at Prof. University. Dr. Moestopo (Religious) Jakarta, graduated in 2002.

“I had planned to focus on the world of work after finishing college. "It's true that I get extra money from basketball, but I think this has to have an end," said Junas, who often takes his wife to the court when holding basketball matches, either in Jakarta or outside the city.

Junas is a basketball player who can balance his hobby of music with studying and now working at the same time. Everything goes according to plan. College was on time and his professional career was fairly smooth.

He started his career in the promotion department at Sport Magazine. Then he moved to Radio Prambors, still in the promotion field. The young man's career in radio was quite successful, before he was 30 he already held the position of General Manager. From the world of radio he moved to the Mahaka Group. This is where his career became increasingly brilliant and he occupied various strategic positions, from PR Manager to CEO.

What are your tips for doing everything in harmony? "The tip is you don't need to do the math, when you have the opportunity to take it, everything will form by itself," said CEO of Mahaka Sport Group (2018-2019).

And the opportunities obtained are optimized as much as possible to produce something. The problem is that the results he gets will make his future career easier. "When I play basketball, I just flow, I don't have any aspirations to become CEO of IBL. "The important thing is to take advantage of the trust you receive and play your best," said Junas Miradiarsyah, who works hard for his family.

"I don't see this naturalization killing local seeds, this can happen simultaneously. In football that happens too. Even though many naturalized players are recruited, many local players are also taken. Sport is about competing to be the best. Naturalized players join local players to form our national team. There is a transfer of knowledge and culture with the entry of naturalized players,"

Junas Miradiarsyah