Boxing body challenges Tourino in court hearing

JAKARTA (JP): A dispute between two promoters over who has the right to stage an international boxing bout intensified when one insisted he would still take the matter to court.

An Indonesian Boxing Committee (KTI) official said he was not frightened by promoter Tourino Tidar's threat that the organization would be sued in court.

"We are not scared that we (KTI) will be sued by Tourino. We have all the necessary backups to defend ourselves," Willy Lasut, the committee's coordinator told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Willy made the statement following Tourino's dissatisfaction over two KTI officials' bad attitude. Tourino said they had tarnished his name.

The two officials are Willy and Chandru Lalwani, the committee's vice chairman. Tourino believes Willy and Chandru poached his boxer Nico Thomas.

Tourino then wrote a letter to the KTI's caretaker chairman, Tri Tamtomo. Tourino stated that he no longer trusted the committee and was withdrawing from KTI.

Tourino told the Post late Thursday that he had even signed a letter authorizing his lawyer Otto Cornelis Kaligis to handle the lawsuit against Willy and Chandru.

"Kaligis is willing to defend me in court. I will prove to the court that I am in the right and want both Willy and Chandru to clear my bad name publicly," Tourino said.

Tourino further said that it was he who had elevated Nico to the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation title. "He became champion because of me. I have never betrayed Nico and even paid higher payments then other promoters."

As to Nico's defense against Japanese challenger Uruf Tukimatshu, Tourino said that he had all the rights to have the bout held in Jakarta.

"Without my agreement, Willy and Chandru took Nico to have the fight in Japan. They even made contacts with Japanese promoter Sukhi Murayama and agreed Nico would be paid US$8,000 and Tukimatshu $6,000," Tourino said.

Tourino said Willy and Chandru acted individually on the contract which was still being negotiated. "I was in the midst of bargaining with Murayama when suddenly, a contract was signed on Dec. 12 last year between KTI and Murayama."

Based on this contract, which Tourino considered illegal, Tourino demanded that the fight in Japan be canceled.

"I have already paid $14,000 to KTI so I should actually have the right to have the fight in Jakarta. How come it was Murayama who got the contract? I believe all this is a setup by Willy and Chandru," Tourino said.

Referring to the contract between Nico and Tukimatshu, Willy said that it was legal and was made in accordance with all the proper procedures.

"I don't understand why Tourino said it was illegal. We contacted Nico and he agreed that the fight be arranged by KTI," Willy said.

Frustrated

Nico acknowledged Willy's statement by saying that he was contacted by Willy and not Tourino. Nico said that he went to KTI because he was frustrated by Tourino.

"For the past two years, Tourino had cheated me. His promises are never kept. One example was when I was to meet Mohammad Sidik (an Indonesian) in August last year, I asked for Rp 20 million. Tourino only wanted to pay Rp 12.5 million," Nico said.

Since Nico did not agree to the Rp 12.5 million, Tourino had no choice to agree to the Rp 20 million. "What happened was that the payment was made in installments and took some time."

Nico, like Willy and Chandru, said that he would challenge all Tourino's statements in court. "I don't trust Tourino anymore so I will certainly fight against him."

Willy said his court defense would come from him and Chandru. "We will not hire a lawyer but we will defend ourselves." (lnt)