Perbasi Frees Local Players Naturalized Playing At IBL 2024 Since The Beginning Of The Season

Naturalized basketball player Jerome Anthony Beane will play for Pelita Jaya at IBL 2024 (doc. Perbasi).

JAKARTA The Central Board of the Indonesian Basketball Association (PP Perbasi) has released local naturalized players from playing in the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) for the 2024 season.

One of the players who has been supported from the start of the season in the highest level national basketball competition is Jerome Anthony Beane.

The basketball player who was born in the United States is one of the naturalized basketball players or called localized.

This Perbasi decision is contained in a response letter from IBL regarding Beane's status. The letter is numbered 2313-REV/PP/DN/XII/2023 dated December 22, 2023.

"Beane is one part of the Indonesian national team which was prepared in the nearest event in 2024. Therefore, Perbasi decided that Beane could play in the 2024 IBL since the beginning of the season," said Perbasi Secretary General Nirmala Dewi in an official statement.

The move to support Beane is in line with the federation's plan to facilitate coordination between players and the National Team Agency (BTN) to look to the international agenda in 2024.

This continues the Perbasi decision which frees local naturalized players with the status of Indonesian national team players to play in domestic competitions.

Previously, local naturalized players were encouraged to play in foreign leagues because the goal of naturalizing was not for the Indonesian national team.

They responded to this rule by competing in foreign leagues to maintain performance.

However, after being evaluated, this scenario sometimes makes it difficult for BTN to call players when the energy is needed because it collides with the agenda in each club.

Therefore, in order to facilitate player summons to face the 2024 international agenda such as the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualification Window I which is held in a home-and-away format, Perbasi also encourages local naturalized players to play in the local league.

In addition to facilitating coordination, encouraging local naturalized players to play in local competitions will make it easier for BTN to develop programs. Thus, the maximum strength will be owned by the Indonesian national team to face an important agenda.

This season several local players from the naturalization of the Indonesian national team have started to be recruited by IBL clubs. They areester Prosper recruited by Dewa United, Xavier Ford strengthens Satria Muda Pertamina, and Anthony Beane is taken by Pelita Jaya.

Director of IBL, Junas Mardiansyah, said that the provisions for naturalized players who are called local naturalization can actually play in IBL have existed since 2021.

"With the presence of naturalized players, this certainly encourages an increase in the level of play in the national league," said Junas.

The 2024 IBL regular series will start rolling on January 10, 2024, with home and away formats. A total of 14 are contestants for the competition.