Jakarta (Xinhua): Indonesian state oil company (PT Pertamina) said on Monday that it is willing to be one of the sponsors of Asian Beach Games (ABG) to be held from October 18-26 in Bali, Indonesia.
With a limited number of sponsors, the ABG organizing committee had ever decided to decrease the budget, from 300 billion rupiahs (34 million U.S. dollars) to 200 billion rupiahs (22 million U.S. dollars) before Pertamina's sponsorship with 20 billion rupiah (2. 3 million U.S. dollars).
"We take the decision for adjusting our capability, yet we still maintain the standard of the Olympic council of Asia (OCA)," the chairperson of ABG organizing committee Rita Subowo told Xinhua on Monday.
"This event is first time, not only in South East Asia, but in the world as well. it is still not popular yet, we find it difficult in marketing," she added.
Some 200 billion rupiahs channeled by the Government of Indonesia through the ministries of both sports and tourism, Indonesian state-owned enterprises.
"The rest, about 100 billion rupiahs, will be funded by some private companies in Indonesia, excluding 20 billion rupiahs, which will be channeled soon from Pertamina," she said.
The director of Pertamina Ari H. Soemarno and Rita Subowo signed an agreement on sponsorship grasped by Pertamina on Monday. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Indonesian Sport and Youth Minister Adhyaksa Dault.
With the deal, Pertamina will become the prestige partner of ABG, the highest status of sponsorship of the first beach games in Asia on October 18-26 in Bali, Indonesia.