The Birth of a New Era for the Second Tier, A Look into the Dynamic History of Liga 2 Through the Ages

Kapanlagi.com - Positive developments are increasingly visible from the second-tier competition now known as Pegadaian Liga 2 2024/2025. This second-tier league has been showcasing its own charm since the merger of two Indonesian football competitions in 1994.

The birth of this second-tier competition cannot be separated from the unification or merging of two competitions, namely Galatama and Perserikatan. This competition has always undergone modifications in format and name changes over time.

Looking back, the main foundation of Pegadaian Liga 2 can be traced back to the birth of the Indonesian League's First Division competition, which first rolled out in 1994. At that time, the second tier of the Indonesian League was called Division One.

However, since the rollout of the Indonesia Super League in 2008, this First Division tier was eventually downgraded to the second tier in the pyramid of football competitions in the country until 2014, when it changed format again.

After going through season after season, a breath of fresh air has been received by this second-tier competition since the 2023/2024 edition. For the first time, Liga 2 officially received main support as capital for the acceleration of the football industry.

Amid the ongoing Pegadaian Liga 2 competition coinciding with the end of the year, Pegadaian does not forget to remind you who are traveling for holidays out of town. Don't forget to be wiser in storing valuable items like gold at home, which can be at risk of loss if a burglary occurs.

But there's no need to worry because Pegadaian offers Gold Deposit services. So, you don't have to worry anymore because your gold will be safely stored and insured.

Gold Deposits at Pegadaian apply to both gold bars and jewelry. Affordable deposit rates with varying deposit periods of up to 12 months and can be extended.

You can also obtain a loan ceiling by depositing gold at Pegadaian and can be pawned at any time online through the Pegadaian Digital app if needed.

So, let’s ensure the safety of your gold jewelry so it doesn’t get lost easily at the nearest Pegadaian outlet!

List of Supporting Sponsors for the Competition

First held in the 1994/1995 season, this Division One era has organized at least 13 competition seasons up to the last one in 2007/2008. Indeed, not all of them finished until the end of the season.

In the 1997/1998 edition, the Indonesian League Division One did not take place until completion due to the political crisis that shook Indonesia. The competition resumed in the 1998/1999 edition, which was won by PSPS Pekanbaru.

During this period, several companies became sponsors of the competition, ranging from cigarette brands to state-owned banks. These company names also became the title of the competition due to the collaboration.

For the 1994/1995 to 1996/1997 editions, this competition was named the Dunhill Division One League. Then, for five seasons from 1990/2000 to 20024, it changed its name to the Mandiri Bank League. The three editions that rolled from 2004 to 2007/2008 were titled the Djarum League.

Dynamics of the Second Tier

As the Indonesia Super League era was born, the competition was often colored by various dynamics. In the early days, the title often changed starting from the Esia Premier League for the 2008/2009 edition, Joss Indonesia League in 2009/2010, to Tiphone League in 2010/2011.

The dynamics of the second tier journey were also marked by the dualism of competition in 2011/2012. At that time, the First Division of the Indonesian League version of PSSI emerged along with a rival competition launched by KPSI. Not only that, there was also a moment when the competition was halted due to FIFA's suspension in 2015.

Before the new era of competition rolled out, the second tier briefly held a league that was not affiliated with PSSI, AFC, and FIFA, namely in the Indonesia Soccer Championship (ICS) B event that took place during the transition period in 2016.

New Era of Liga 2

Since 2017, this second-tier competition officially adopted a new format called Liga 2 following the change of the highest tier labeled Liga 1. Interestingly, after rolling out for seven seasons, this event finally secured a main sponsor starting from the 2023/2024 edition.

Yes, after receiving support from PT Pegadaian, this second-tier competition began using the title ‘Pegadaian Liga 2’. The state-owned company has supported this competition for two consecutive seasons.

The development of Liga 2 over the past two years has indeed begun to be felt. One of the proofs is the increase in the sponsorship value provided by Pegadaian as the main sponsor.

Liga 2 has become the right target market for this company. In fact, after supporting the competition, the profits recorded by PT Pegadaian have increased. This symbiosis is hoped to continue to support the second-tier competition to become more professional towards an industrial direction.

(kpl/wri)