Tour Of Kemala Belitong, Promotion Of Indonesian Natural Beauty Through Bicycle Competition

JAKARTA - The Kemala Bhayangkari Foundation is holding the Tour of Kemala Belitong 2022 event which will be held on 17-18 September.

Tour of Kemala is an event to promote the natural beauty of Indonesia through international cycling competitions in various cities in Indonesia, stimulating the economic activity of MSME actors in the regions as well as being a forum for social service activities. This activity is planned to be held once a year. And this year, the Tour Of Kemala will be held in the Belitung Islands.

The chairman of the Central Executive Board of the Kemala Bhayangkari Foundation as well as the Chief Executive of the Tour Of Kemala, Winny Agung Budi Maryoto, explained Belitung was chosen as the venue for the inaugural event of this activity, because Belitung has an undoubted tourist beauty, both in terms of natural beauty and fauna.

In Belitung, in addition to its coastal clusters, unique rocks were also found so that Belitung was designated by UNESCO as a Global Geopark. According to her, this event aims to increase the love for cycling and to find seeds for national cycling athletes, but also a broader goal, namely to attract the eyes of Indonesia and the world to Belitung, one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia with extraordinary tourism potential and superior local MSME products.

"This event is one part of the sport of tourism, which is intended to promote destinations or tourism in the Belitung Islands. In addition, to encourage the revival of community spirit after the tourism world has faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic", said Winny during a press conference at the Bhayangkari Building, Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Wednesday, August 3.

According to Winny, the 2022 Tour of Kemala Belitong has supportive environmental and safety conditions, as well as challenging racing routes for athletes. This bicycle sports activity, apart from being able to find the lips of young athletes, can also support the people's economy, especially in the areas where the competition is held.

"This activity is to promote the natural beauty of Belitung as a tourist destination for bicycle sports, a place to find new seeds for cycling athletes, and help the revival of the regional economy. Belitung does have many advantages, apart from tourism, also for cycling, especially the road conditions are not creditable. Moreover, the participants will be limited to 600 people so we will enjoy the real ride", explained Winny.

Tour of Kemala is projected to become an annual activity agenda to be carried out in various parts of Indonesia with the support of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Sport Bike Association (PB ISSI), which carries the theme "Synergizing for the Country".

This year, the Tour of Kemala Belitong 2022 is held in two categories, namely the 125km Bicycle Race for professional participants, both national and international, and the 56km Bicycle Tour which can be followed by non-professional participants. Tour Of Kemala is planned to be registered with the parent organization of the international cycling sport UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), as part of UCI Grandfondo.

Registration will open on August 3 through the website www.tourofkemala.com with a limit of 300 participants for each category, bringing a total of 600 participants.