Fate of New Myanmar Soccer League in Doubt

Credits: Reuters, Irrawaddy Publishing Group

The Myanmar National League Cup resumed on September 5, 2009, in spite of the professional soccer clubs’ lack of profits, which has called into question their ability to survive.

“Sr. General Than Shwe ordered the nation’s biggest financial shakers, Tay Za, Tun Myint Naing, Aung Ko Win and Win Myint to form professional football clubs,” said a Rangoon-based editor at a weekly journal. “But after four months, some club owners are not willing to reinvest in clubs that cost hundreds of millions of kyat to operate, unless the government offers support,” said the editor.

According to figures from Myanmar Football Federation, ticket sales from the first four matches earned 33 million kyat ($30,000). Yangon United FC’s owner, Tay Za, who is known to be close to the ruling generals and the owner of Air Bagan, reportedly invested more than 500 million kyat (US $500,000) into his team this year. Another owner of the Yadanabon FC in Mandalay Division spent 1,000 million kyat ($909,090) in 2009, according to the editor.

He said the clubs depend on ticket sales for most of their revenue and lack the lucrative revenue generated by company sponsorships. “There are still questions about whether this professional league will survive without other income,” said the source.