Thanks To The MotoGP Event, 400 Marshales From Lombok Were Sent To Japan

Director of Marketing and Tourism Program InJourney, Maya Watono. (Photo: Mery Handayani/VOI)

JAKARTA - The implementation of an international standard motorcycle racing event, MotoGP in Mandalika has had many impacts on the people of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

Especially in creating jobs for the people of Lombok as marshals.

For your information, the marshal was an officer who helped provide assistance in the track area when there was an incident in the race.

InJourney's Director of Marketing and Tourism Program, Maya Watono said, when the Mandika Circuit held the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) for the first time, all marshals came from Dorna.

"Marshal Mandalika was the first time we held WSBK (2021), all marshals were Caucasians, from Dorna. Not a single local person," said Maya during the press conference of the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia (Indonesian GP) 2023 at the InJourney office, Sarinah Building, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 3.

However, continued Maya, the implementation of the 2023 MotoGP in Mandalika this time provided a great opportunity for the surrounding community to contribute directly to the championship as a marshal.

Maya added that as many as 400 marshals or 95 percent were local residents who were ready to serve.

"Then with MotoGP (2022), the second WSBK, then now MotoGP (2023), we now have 400 marshals from Lombok, and even our marshals are asked to export to Japan," he said.

"So another MotoGP-MotoGP asks us to go there. So it's amazing. We have an extraordinary multiplier effect for the sports and tourism industry in Indonesia," he continued.

On the other hand, Maya said that this year her party has prepared this motorcycle racing championship very carefully in terms of infrastructure, access and implementation.

"This can be prepared well because of the collaboration support from the Ministry of SOEs, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, local governments, IMI and the local community as well as all stakeholders," he said.

Various preparations have been made by InJourney Group through its subsidiary, ITDC and PT Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) Nusantara Jaya.

The hard work of preparation has been carried out starting from the improvement of the track (track), the readiness of the marshal, medical center, paddock facilities, grandstand, to the inner-circuit.

One of them is by starting the repainting of the kerb and the run-off area of the circuit. From a total area of 27,380 m2, repainting has reached approximately 22,000 m2.

In addition, sensors have also been installed for new track-limit areas according to FIM requests, as well as the timing system.