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Persipura, Freeport continue partnership
Honorary player: PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin shows a Persipura jersey bearing his name after signing an agreement to sponsor the Jayapura-based soccer club on Wednesday
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span class="inline inline-center">Honorary player: PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin shows a Persipura jersey bearing his name after signing an agreement to sponsor the Jayapura-based soccer club on Wednesday. - JP/Nethy Dharma Somba
Jayapura-based soccer club Persipura has received a financial boost as the 2014 runner-up is ready to begin its competition in this year's Indonesian Super League (ISL).
The club announced it had garnered Rp 22 billion (US$1.7 million) from PT Freeport Indonesia and Rp 14 billion from Bank Papua.
The signing of the agreement with PT Freeport was conducted on Wednesday by the company's president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin and club chairman Benhur Tommy Mano.
'Persipura needs Rp 23 billion for one season, including a portion allocated for our participation in the AFC [Asian Football Confederation] competition,' Mano said.
This is the fourth year that PT Freeport has been involved in the sponsorship of the club, which was beaten by Persib Bandung in last year's ISL final.
'We are proud of Persipura's achievement, both in domestic and regional competitions. We hope the players are back at their best performance. Keep fighting to boost Papua's and Indonesia's name,' Maroef said.
Persipura is the only Indonesian soccer club to attain four-star honors, beginning in 2005 when the Black Pearl, under coach Rahmad Darmawan, emerged as the ISL champion for the first time.
Boaz Solossa and teammates took runner-up status in the Copa Indonesia in 2006 and 2007.
After title drought in 2008, Persipura won the Community Shield in 2009, as well as being league champion for the second time, before it won another league title in 2011 and 2013.
In the 2014 AFC Cup, Persipura managed to advance to the semifinals with Churchill Brother (India), Home United (Singapore) and New Radiant (Maldives) being its victims in the group phase.
In the last-16 round, it beat Yangon United before eliminating defending champion Al-Kuwait. In the semifinals, it lost to eventual champion Al-Qadsia.
The ISL, which consists of 18 teams, has delayed its kick-off from the previously scheduled February to April over reports that a number of clubs have failed to complete administration requirements.
BOPI, the national supervisory board for professional sports, has required the clubs provide documents on tax clearance and players' payroll for the league to kick off.
During a meeting at the House of Representatives, it was decided that the kick-off would take place on April 4, but BOPI has not guaranteed providing its recommendation if administrative requirements are not fulfilled.
Mano said that Persipura was one of six teams committed to paying tax.
'The tax directorate has said so,' Mano said when confronted about the issue.
