Indonesia unveils new top-flight league

Top attraction: Ghanaian Michael Essien attending the ceremony to launch Indonesia’s Liga 1 on Monday. The former Chelsea midfielder plays for Persib Bandung. — AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesia unveiled a new top-flight football league after two years without one, seeking to draw a line under a crisis that engulfed the game in South-East Asia’s biggest nation.

Liga 1 kicks off on Saturday and replaces the Indonesian Super League, which was halted in 2015 due to a row between the country’s sports ministry and football association.