Rejecting WSBK To Be Abolished, NTB Governor Wants To Take Over Mandalika Circuit Management

Governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), H. Zulkieflimansyah (ANTARA/Nur Imansyah).

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah wants the management of the Mandalika Circuit to be taken over by the provincial government.

"If InJourney is unable to just hand over the management of the Mandalika Circuit to us, the NTB Regional Government. God willing, let alone WSBK and MotoGP, we can do a lot more with this extraordinary circuit," Zulkieflimansyah said in Mataram as reported by ANTARA Saturday, June 17.

This was emphasized by the Governor of NTB Zulkieflimansyah in response to InJourney's plan to remove the World Superbike (WSBK) event from the Mandalika Circuit because it had to lose Rp100 billion.

He considered that as a business entity, the decision to abolish WSBK was understandable. But as a Tourism BUMN Holding, according to him, InJourney was completely wrong.

The Governor of NTB said that InJourney and ITDC were unable and failed to capture President Jokowi's special message when presenting the Mandalika Circuit with his WSBK and MotoGP.

"Instead of wanting to add more motorcycle activities and attractions at the Mandalika Circuit. This actually reduces," he said.

In fact, Zulkieflimansyah imagines that it would be better if WSBK, MotoGP, MXGP, Enduro and others were all held in Mandalika by InJourney to sharpen NTB's position as a sport tourism as announced by President Jokowi.

"We need new ideas and ideas to create a new tourism destination beyond Bali," said Zulkieflimansyah.

Therefore, the NTB governor did not agree with the idea of eliminating WSBK Mandalika due to losses.

"Initially, the implementation of rare sports activities was immediately profitable. It was almost certain that all of them would lose because the sponsors were still limited and all of them were alsowait and see to help," he said.

"But as emphasized from the beginning, Pak Jokowi, the organizer may lose, but the stigma or overall impact on this economy must be considered and used as a reference," continued Bang Zul, the nickname of the Governor of NTB.

However, from the two WSBK and MotoGP implementations, it had a very positive impact. BPS and various institutions have concluded and presented this fact, said Zul.

"Therefore, instead of latah wanting to abolish WSBK because of losses, let's InJourney, ITDC, MGPA work more seriously. How can you really take care of WSBK, friends at InJourney and ITDC there are still many who are not familiar with WSBK," he said.

Therefore, Bang Zul suggested that all management in InJourney, ITDC and MGPA should no longer carry out activities solely because of their obligations but must carry out them with all their love and passion.

"Considering removing WSBK, let's evaluate from now on what the problem is, why sponsors don't want to support, make teams that are more aggressive and carry out events because of passion not only because of their obligations and interpret them to be a burden," he said.

The Governor of NTB also compared it with the MXGP event which was successfully implemented by local governments despite limitations.

"We are not just talking. We carry out MXGP with more severe limitations. But because of our great passion and desire to advance sport tourism in Mandalika and NTB, all obstacles can be resolved little by little. Bitterness and loss are bitter pills that we swallow and are able to heal many things. We learned a lot," he explained.

"Therefore, if local governments such as NTB with all their limitations can carry out two MXGP series. InJourney with all its BUMN instruments and networks should be more able to. Because according to him, big SOEs still have a lot of money to do promotions, it is not efficient and the target is wrong. Just turn it into holding an event at Mandalika, I think InJourney will be able to make a profit or at least not lose," he continued.