RI to co-host Brunei int'l off-road event<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Off-road Federation (IOF) will
\nco-host the 5000-kilometer Brunei Four-Wheel Drive International
\nChallenge 2001 as part of the Visit Brunei Year 2001 program.<\/p>\n
A number of IOF officials told The Jakarta Post during a post-
\nRamadhan gathering in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, that the
\nevent was a great opportunity to promote Indonesia's tourism
\npotential, especially in the areas in Kalimantan and Sulawesi
\nthat will host the event.<\/p>\n
"The race will pass through parts of Brunei, the Malaysian
\nstates of Sabah and Sarawak, and Indonesian provinces in
\nKalimantan and Sulawesi. Brunei's Ministry of Tourism is to
\nfinance the event while the Brunei Four-Wheel Drive Association
\nwill act as the main organizer," IOF secretary Justinus Shalim
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"It is a great advantage for our side because 85 percent of
\nthe itinerary is in Indonesia. We will do our best to promote
\ntourism.<\/p>\n
The event starts on April 5 in the Brunei capital of Bandar
\nSeri Begawan. The participants will then head to the Sarawak
\ncapital of Kuching before entering Indonesia on the way to
\nPontianak, West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
They participants will then cross the Kalimantan jungle
\nheading for Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, and Banjarmasin,
\nSouth Kalimantan, before going by ferry to Makassar, South
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
The event will then pass through the Toraja tourist area on
\nthe way to Poso Lake in Central Sulawesi. The Sulawesi section
\ncontinues through Palu and ends in Toli-toli.<\/p>\n
The participants will be then shipped back to Kalimantan en
\nroute to the Sabah city of Tawau before reaching the state's
\ncapital of Kota Kinabalu.<\/p>\n
The event ends in Bandar Seri Begawan on April 23.<\/p>\n
The IOF's official in charge of the event, Harry Suhari, said
\nhe would contact local tourism agencies to provide their own
\ncultural attractions.<\/p>\n
"The event is such a big opportunity for the provinces because
\nthere will be some 20 foreign journalists covering the event. By
\nproviding cultural attractions at the event's checkpoints, these
\nregions will be widely promoted," he said.<\/p>\n
"The only concern is that local clashes may erupt, especially
\nin Poso. It will be such a loss if we have to skip Poso Lake and
\ntake another route to reach Palu," he added.<\/p>\n
For the 2001 calendar, the IOF has also prepared several
\nevents in the adventure, racing, and rock-crawling categories.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, IOF Chairman Harry Irawadi said the federation,
\nfounded last year, had currently 30 institutional members
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
"We don't take individual memberships. Those interested can
\njoin local off-road clubs. The club can then apply for membership
\nof the federation," he said.<\/p>\n
"Workshops providing off-road modifications can also apply for
\nmembership as well as specialized stores selling off-road
\nequipment," he added.<\/p>\n
"Currently, we are also considering the possibility of
\naccepting mountain motorbikes and bikes in the federation. We
\nhave invited them to take part in some of our events and to try
\nout our off-road tracks," he said.<\/p>\n
The federation is a member of the England-based Four-by-Four
\nWorld Council for the adventure category and the US-based Score
\nInternational for the racing category. (nvn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-to-co-host-brunei-intl-off-road-event-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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