150 parachutists to join int'l meet here

JAKARTA (JP): At least 150 parachutists from 17 countries will be competing in the Sixth World Parachuting Championships at Lido Lake, Bogor, West Java, just before the Indonesian Air Show.

Organizers of the championships expect 20 countries will take part in the championships.

"We're still waiting confirmation from Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. We would also like to see South Korea competing," said Dody Trianto, general secretary of the organizer.

The United States, Russia, Canada, England, France, China, Malaysia, South Africa, Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, France, Germany, China, Switzerland, Italy and host Indonesia have already confirmed participation in the 10-day championships to be held from June 14 to 24.

The organizers have invited 15 international referees for the championships.

The Indonesia Air Show will take place at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from June 22 to 10.

Dody said that two teams, comprised of members of the Army and Air Force special forces, have been practicing at Lido Lake. They will leave for Malaysia today to take part in the Malaysia Open parachuting championships.

A team from the Aves Club in Bandung, West Java, is still on an overseas stint in the United States. The team, one of the country's leading skydiving clubs, is expected to return home today.

The championships will feature four-way rotation, four-way sequential and eight-way formation events. The organizers will provide a Pilatus plane from the Indonesian Air Force.

Indonesia was elected the host of the world canopy relative work championships by The Federation Aeronautique Internationale, the world aerosport controlling body, because the country successfully hosted a world parachuting event in Bali in 1989 and in Jakarta two years later.

Dody said that the organizers plan to hold a bogey-jump event at the Prambanan and Borobudur Temples in Central Java. A similar event, in which the public can go bogey jumping with parachutists, was held during the parachuting meet in Bali four years ago.

"There was a plan to involve all championships participants in the opening ceremony of the Indonesia Air Show. Unfortunately, the ceremony will be held at the same time as the final round of the championships," Dody said.

"Maybe they can perform on June 26, when the show is open for the public. But until now, we haven't heard from the show organizers," he said. (yan)