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Sunday, June 22, 2008

 

Press Release - WA and East Java Friendship Cup

AFTER 18 YEARS of successful sister state/province exchanges between Western Australia and
Indonesia’s East Java, two football squads will now take that relationship to new heights.
From 24 June – 5 July, the Western Australian State team and the Perth Glory Football Club will star in the biggest Australian sports event ever held in Indonesia.
WA State will clash with the elite East Java All-Province U23 team in the inaugural Western
Australia- East Java Football Friendship Cup on Wednesday evening, 25 June and Perth Glory will take on two of East Java’s four Indonesian Super League clubs, Persik Kediri and Deltras Sidoarjo at their home stadiums on the evenings of Sunday 29 June and Friday 4 July respectively.
A highlight of the opening ceremony will be the runner-up of Australian Idol 2006, Jessica Mauboy, performing Advance Australia Fair and East Java’s own singer-actress, Ervyl Revylda, performing Indonesia Raya.
East Java is regarded as the nation’s football heartland - legend has it that football was introduced to Indonesia through East Java in 1895 when English schoolboy John Edgar founded a club in Surabaya - and public interest in the WA challenge has reached fever-pitch.


The Western Australian Trade Office in Indonesia appointed a football taskforce in March 2007 to develop people-to-people and business linkages through sport between Western Australia and East Java.
It has focussed on identifying opportunities for regular ‘friendlies’ between Western Australia and East Java representative teams and between the professional soccer clubs in both countries and introducing Western Australian expertise in sports education, training, administrative, medical, stadia, tourism and related technology and services.


“The Task Force successfully brought together Western Australia and East Java government
resources and the collaboration and support of the East Java Football Association, Football West,
Perth Glory FC, Persik Kediri FC and Deltras Sidoarjo FC, to make this major sports event a reality,” said Martin Newbery, Regional Director of the WA Trade Office in Indonesia.


"With Australian soccer part of Asia, and Indonesia probably the most soccer-loving country in Asia, we have a wonderful opportunity for combining health, sport and business with developing goodwill with our neighbours,"

“Many sister-state relationships like this often do not appear to have much impact on peoples’ lives, but the East Java-Western Australia agreement has proven different. The sorts of practical cooperation and exchanges that have taken place under the WA-East Java relationship have helped to promote Australia’s overall relationship with Indonesia in a definable way.

“In addition to a cultural exchanges that have taken place under this agreement, first signed in
Surabaya in 1990, there have also been a number of successful development projects including
renewable energy projects and efforts to provide solar energy-driven water for poor villages in the province.


“Sport is something that is close to the hearts of people in WA and East Java but up until now there had not been any activity in this area. I can think of no better way of bringing Australians and Indonesians together than sport where a common language, interest and enthusiasm brings people together and develops friendships and contacts at the personal level. This extends into business to business relationships.

"Western Australia is one of the world's great professional football centres," Mr Newbery added.
"With two Australian Football League clubs, a team in the Rugby Super 14 competition and Perth Glory FC in the A-League, the sports passion of our State's 2 million residents has endowed it with second-to-none facilities and expertise in sports administration, marketing, medicine, fitness, nutrition, junior development, coaching, refereeing, stadium infrastructure and pitch technology and, of course, football technical skills.


“Indonesian national teams have travelled to Perth for fine tuning before major international
tournaments but through this new initiative, Western Australian sports organisations, institutes,
educational institutions and businesses may contribute directly to East Java's sports development, from the grassroots upwards."


WESTERN AUSTRALIA – EAST JAVA FOOTBALL FRIENDSHIP CUP
East Java U23 will host WA State in the inaugural Western Australia – East Java Football Friendship Cup at Gelora Deltras Sidoarjo Stadium, East Java on Wednesday evening, 25 June (KO. 7.00 PM).


Australian and Indonesian celebrities will participate in the opening ceremony and to present the
Friendship Cup to the winning team and commemorative medallions to all participating players and
officials.


WA STATE
The quality and strength of the WA State team is not be underestimated. Prior to departing for
Indonesia, WA State beat Perth Glory, Western Australia’s sole franchise in the national professional competition, the Hyundai A league, 3-2 in an entertaining friendly at Perth’s E&D Litis Stadium.

WA State was recently re-formed by Football West, which administers all aspects of football in
Western Australia across semi-professional, amateur men, women, youth, juniors, referees, coaches, officials and volunteers. Football West is affiliated to Football Federation Australia and is funded through membership and club affiliation fees, government grants and corporate sponsorship.
The popularity of football at a grass roots level throughout Australia is unsurpassed and in Western Australia there are more than 34,000 registered participants.


“The re-establishment of the men’s WA State team is a great boost for the local game,” Garry
Chandler, the CEO of Football West said. “The match in Indonesia will not only be an incredible
experience for the squad against quality international opposition, but will also provide us with a
great opportunity to further develop our footballing relationships in the region. I know I speak on behalf of the entire football family here in WA, in wishing the boys in the black and yellow, the very best of luck, “


During its visit, WA State will conduct a clinic for selected young players at Gelora Deltras Sidoarjo Stadium and will also present a paper on youth programs at the Western Australia - East Java Sports Development Seminar.

WA State coach Robbie Dunn, played 36 times for Australia’s Socceroos as a defender, scoring on
five occasions. He was a part of the Australian team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and the 1986
World Cup Qualifiers. He is currently assistant coach at Perth Glory FC.
WA State’s players are selected from the top semi-professionals of the Western Australia Premier League and First Division. All of the players are part-time and hold down full time employment or are studying. Several of the players picked to represent WA State in its first international encounter for five years recently travelled with the Perth Glory its recent tour to China. There the coaches cast their eye over them with a view to offering them full time contracts with Perth Glory.
With at least one Perth Glory contract still available for a local player for the upcoming 2008/09, WA State’s showdown in East Java will provide a further opportunity for skills to be displayed. Players expected to stand-out in the clash are Marc Anthony, Jeff Bright and Andrija Jukic.
The full WA Squad is Neil Young (Sorrento), Jeff Bright (Mandurah), Keith Brown (Mandurah), Andy Brown (Mandurah), John Migas (Floreat), Dean Evans (Stirling), Mark Anthony (Stirling) Johnny Mirco (Cockburn), Paul Harvey (Canning), Andrija Jukic (Perth), Ian McMurray (ECU Joondalup), Scott Bulloch (ECU Joondalup), Thomas Amphlett (ECU Joondalup), Garin Collins (Floreat) and Kenny Ftynogiannis (Balcatta).


East Java U23
Preparing itself for the football finals of the Indonesian National Games (PON XVII Samarinda 2008) in July, the elite East Java U23 team is cautious of the strength of the part-time players of WA State.


“All Australians are very competitive and tough and some of our players are not yet at the
professional level,” said Haruna Soemitro, chairman of the Football Association of East Java (PSSI JATIM). “However, we are building a dream team of youth players who we expect will make a big impact for many years to come.”


Unlike previous U23 football squads representing East Java at the National Games, only amateurs were brought together during the current two year youth development process. The team was included for the first time in the East Java Governor’s Cup (May 2008) and was competitive against the region’s leading professional and semi-pro clubs.

DIVAS TO SING NATIONAL ANTHEMS
Australian young and talented singer, the runner-up Australian Idol 2006, Jessica Mauboy, will open her first ever tour of Indonesia by singing the Australian national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, at the opening of the Western Australia – East Java Football friendship Cup in Sidoarjo, East Java on Wednesday evening, 25 June.


With her father’s Indonesian (Kupang, NTT) and mother’s Australian (Aboriginal-English-Native
American) family backgrounds, Darwin-born Jessica is both a perfect cultural ambassador for
Australia and a living example of the strong cultural and people-to-people ties between Australia
and Indonesia.
Jessica will also perform at the Plaza Semanggi (Thursday 26 June) and on the hugely
popular Indonesian Idol 2008 (with the Idol Divo group of Delon, Judika, Mike and Lucky). Jessica is very excited about her tour and is looking forward to entertaining Indonesian music lovers with songs from her 2007 album ‘The Journey’.
Jessica’s visit is funded under the Australian Government’s IN2OZ: Creative Australia program of cultural diplomacy activities in Indonesia throughout 2008. More information on IN2OZ is available at
http://ww.dfat.gov.au/in2oz
The Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya, will be sung by Ervyl Revylda, East Java’s Surabaya born rising pop singer and television and film actress. She has receive more than 30 awards from singing contest in Asia, Australia and America and will soon release her fifth album, ‘Aku Yang Baru’.
Ervyl won national applause as the solo singer of the Opening Ceremony of the Indonesian National Games (PON) in 2000 in East Java when she performed the famous song ‘Semarak Sukses PON 2000’.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA – EAST JAVA SPORTS DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
The Western Australia Trade Office, in association with the Provincial Government of East Java, is hosting the first joint Sports Development Seminar at the Sheraton Surabaya Hotel on Thursday 26 June. The 100+ by-invitation delegates will represent East Java’s provincial and local government youth and sports officials, pro and semi-pro football clubs and the regional associations and leagues of the Football Association of East Java (PSSI JATIM).


Football West will deliver a keynote presentation on Australia’s football youth development
programs covering issues such as Investing early in youth through grassroots programs, player
registration and insurance, training of coaches and referees, strengthening the club system, working with state and local governments, community infrastructure and participation and pathways to the men’s Socceroos and women’s Matildas national representative teams.
Perth Glory FC will address the growth of the A-League and its new national youth league, the Perth Glory Strategy in a competitive professional sports environment, building memberships, working with Football West, and gaining competitive edge from Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Sports Psychology.


The Western Australia Department of Sport & Recreation will discuss strategic sports planning on the state/province and local government levels. Other topics include sports-sector university and TAFE training and WA capacity in sports sciences.

PERTH GLORY FC FRIENDLIES
On Sunday evening, 29 June, Perth Glory will meet Indonesian Super League club Persik Kediri at its home ground. Persik were 2006 national champions and played Sydney FC in the Asian Champions League in 2007. Due to Kediri’s distance from an international airport the club can’t play its ACL games at home (it played against Sydney FC in Solo, 500 km away) so the Perth Glory visit will overflow the ground.
On Friday evening, 4 July, Perth Glory will return from the mountains to play Indonesian Super
League club Deltras Sidoarjo at their impressive stadium, not so far from the Lapindo mud volcano, a natural disaster still swallowing up homes and factories.
Both of Perth Glory’s games will be televised nationally, thereby not only building their brand
amongst East Java’s 39 million football fanatics but also Indonesia’s other 200 million soccer lovers.


Perth Glory
Since the club’s inception in 1996, Perth Glory has been synonymous with football success in
Australia – both on and off the pitch. A loyal and passionate fan base coupled with strong corporate support have been the hallmarks of this two times championship winning club.

Perth Glory’s introduction into the National Soccer League during the 1996/97 season immediately brought a new professionalism to the sport and captured the imagination of WA sports fans. In 2005/06 the National Soccer League (NSL) was replaced by the Hyundai A-League. Perth Glory is one of only two clubs in the Hyundai A-League to have a history prior to the start of the new national competition.
In April 2007, Perth Glory was taken over by a group of three local businessmen. The club’s new owners have overseen a significant increase in the areas of sponsorship and corporate hospitality during the 2007/08 season plus the club had more members than it has had in its history.
Perth Glory recognises Western Australia’s increasing links to Asia and its own regional strategy has seen it play friendlies in Malaysia in 2007, China in March 2008 and now in Indonesia.


“We are delighted to have the opportunity to promote Perth Glory’s brand into East Java and
continue to strengthen the relationship between Western Australia and the province through
football,” Scott Gooch, Chief Executive Officer, Perth Glory FC said. "“Our players will no doubt
benefit from the competition they’ll face in East Java while we also foresee a great deal of
opportunities from an overall club perspective going forward.”
The future success of Perth Glory looks bright as new coach Dave Mitchell stamps his authority on a playing squad that boasts an enviable crop of young players. Dave had a wonderful career as a player including 44 Socceroos caps and experience at the highest levels in Europe including Glasgow Rangers, Chelsea and Feyenoord. The 45 year old also boasts an impressive coaching resume with a host of clubs in Australia and also overseas including a Grand Final appearance with Sydney United in 1999.


“Our matches in East Java will form an important component of our pre-season program and we’re expecting some very tough competition,” Dave warned.
Key players
Frank Jurić: Perth Glory has bolstered its goal keeping stocks with the prized signature of Australian international ‘keeper Frank Jurić for the next 2 years. The twice capped Socceroo brings to Perth a wealth of experience from the highest levels in Europe where he has spent the past decade with German Bundesliga clubs Fortuna Düsseldorf, Bayer Leverkusen and Hannover 96. Jurić began his professional career with the Melbourne Knights in the National Soccer League where he won two league titles before departing our shores to establish a long career in the German top flight. During his spell at Bayer Leverkusen he twice lined up for the club in their UEFA Champions League campaign against Greek power club Olympiacos and English giants Manchester United. Jurić has represented Australia at Under 20’s & 23’s level, including the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, while also achieving two senior caps for his country.


Jamie Harnwell: Perth native Harnwell first joined Glory in 1998 from local outfit Sorrento and
quickly cemented himself in the starting eleven and earned a reputation as a strong,
uncompromising defender with a penchant for scoring important goals. After a brief stint in England in 2003, Harnwell resumed his career with the Glory. He made the switch up front in mid 2006/07 and sensationally netted a hat-trick against NZ Knights while also capturing the club's Golden Boot Award with 7 goals. Awarded the 'Supporters Player of the Year 2006/07' the popular player will continue to ply his trade in attack this season.


Jamie CoyneL Born in Sydney and raised in Perth, Jamie began his professional football development with English side West Ham United. He joined Perth Glory for the 2002/03 season after a couple of years in the WA State League where he was named Player of the Year in 2002. Jamie’s versatility is a key weapon and is comfortable in most positions across the defence or midfield. He won a NSL Championship with Perth in 2003/04 before heading to Europe for a season with Dutch club ADO Den Hagg. Jamie returned to Perth for the start of the Hyundai A-League and has been a consistent contributor since that time. He was the club’s goal assists leader in 2005/06 and is a key member of Glory's defensive set-up.

Eugene DadiL Dadi brings experience and attacking flair to the Perth Glory squad in season 2008/09. The Ivory Coast striker first trialed with the club in November 2007 but was denied an opportunity to join Perth when his previous club failed to release him during the transfer window. He took part in the Glory's post-season tour of China and impressed coaching staff with his awareness in front of goal. Dadi has enjoyed a successful career in Europe including spells with Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen and English outfits Nottingham Forrest and Tranmere Rovers.

Hayden Foxe: One of the Glory's big 2007 signings, Hayden has a prestigious albeit injury-restricted career since being signed by Dutch giants Ajax in 1997. The big central defender has had stints in the top divisions of Germany, Japan, Belgium and England and represented Australia at every level. Hayden has 15 Senior Caps (Socceroos) to his name and will be an instrumental figure in the Glory’s defence this season.

David Tarka: David is a talented West Australian defender who has overcome several years of
frustrating injuries to reclaim his mantle of one of the country’s most accomplished performers. He scooped the pool at Perth’s 2006/07 end of season award presentations where he picked up his first ‘Most Glorious Player’ award and also took home the ‘Best Young Player’ and the “Players’ Player of the Year’ gongs. David first joined Perth Glory from the Australian Institute of Sport in 2001. He quickly established himself in the first team and was part of the club’s 2002/03 NSL Championship winning team. A tall, elegant defender whose reading of the game defies his years, Tarka quickly became a target of international clubs and he joined English outfit Nottingham Forest in 2003. Injuries curtailed his impact at Forrest and he jumped at the chance to return to Perth in 2005 for the new Hyundai A-League competition. David will lead the defence this season and will be a key figure in the club’s push into the finals. Tarka spent all of 2007/08 on the bench, after badly tearing his hamstring ten minutes into the first game of the season, but is now fully fit and ready to get back to the game.


The full Perth Glory squad is: GK: Jason Petkovic and Frank Juric. Defenders: David Tarka, Mark Lee,
Jamie Coyne, Dino Djulbic, James Downey, Hayden Foxe and Hayden Doyle. Midfielders: Nicola Rizzo,
Josip Magdic, Adriano Pellegrino and Naum Sekulovski. Strikers: Jamie Harnwell, James Robinson,
Adrian Trinidad and Eugene Dadi.
During its visit, Perth Glory will a conduct clinic for selected young players at Brawaijaya Stadium in Kediri and will also present a paper on professional club development at the Western Australia - East Java Sports Development Seminar.


BUILDING LINKS THROUGH FOOTBALL
The convenor of the Western Australian – East Java Football Taskforce believes the first WA-East Java Friendship Cup, Sports Development Seminar and the friendly tour by Perth Glory will ignite sports cooperation between Indonesia and Australia.
“Indonesians are truly passionate about football and want to see their national teams, clubs and
youth develop and win international respect. Neighbouring Australia offers generations of
experience in elite sporting performances fuelled by family and community initiative and
government commitment. ” said Geoffrey Gold, CEO of Sports Dynamics Asia, an Australian-Asian sports development firm with experience in regional development in Indonesia.

”The goodwill generated by the serious but friendly football exchanges such as these events will also benefit social, security and business opportunities between the countries.
“And, with the new off-season alignment of Australia’s A-League and Indonesia’s Super League, we can also expect that challenges between the senior clubs will expand into popular annual events and, perhaps, major tournaments. “Western Australia and East Java will have lead the way.”

Comments:
Wow,that was a swag. Thanks for the post.
Fitness joondalup
 
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