The Ministry of Youth and Sports Has Not Provided Recommendations For WBC Boxing Championships In Indonesia

Sesmempora Gatot S Dewa Broto (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) has not been able to provide recommendations for crowd permits for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International version of the Boxing Championship which is planned to be held in Indonesia because the preparatory material presented is not yet mature.

In the Coordination Meeting for the Study of the Recommendation of the Request for Crowd Permit to the Indonesian Police for the International World Boxing Council (WBC) at the Kemenpora Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, Sesmenpora Gatot S Dewa Broto said that the recommendation for the WBC boxing championship which brought by Tibo Monabesa (Indonesia) with Toto Landero (Philippines) was postponed until the next meeting.

"At the first study meeting for boxing, we were forced to postpone the issuance of his recommendation to be scheduled for the next opportunity", said Gatot as quoted by Antara, Wednesday.

“Without diminishing respect, without reducing support for this boxing sport, I am forced to ask for a reschedule. At the beginning of the introduction, the material was too general, the presentation was not clear enough. The location for the implementation, the swab, is completely blank”, he added.

Gatot hopes that the promoter and the Indonesian Boxing Association (ATI) can imitate the material for the plan to organize a basketball or soccer competition that has previously been submitted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Indonesian Police, and the COVID-19 Task Force.

"We hope that I will give you another week when we meet again later. In principle, we will also help, including sending a letter from the promoter to immigration and the Indonesian Embassy in Manila. The date has also changed from the beginning of the 2nd to the 10th of April 2021".

The General Chairperson of ATI Manahan Situmorang accepted the input. He is aware that holding competitions in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic must be careful so as not to create new clusters of transmission.

"In principle, the government, the Ministry of Youth and Sports in this matter as well as the police and the COVID-19 Task Force are very supportive but must be careful. That's all the point. How to secure it from becoming a new cluster", said Manahan.

Meanwhile, boxing promoter Armin Tan admitted the committee's lack of preparation in holding the championship which brought together Tibo Monabesa and Toto Landero. But he will work hard to keep these activities going.

"We have a lot of shortcomings because of our lack of knowledge in organizing this match in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic", he said.

"Our report cards are red, it is fitting that the parties from the COVID-19 Task Force, the National Police, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have not issued permits at this time. I will work hard so that this event can take place".

The boxer from East Nusa Tenggara Tibo Monabesa is a boxer with the status of the world champion version of the International Boxing Organization (IBO). He is championed to win against the Filipino boxer, Toto Landero

The WBC International Boxing Championship is planned to be held at Balai Sarbini, Jakarta on April 10.