'Boxing merger' idea gets mixed reactions

JAKARTA (JP): National boxing officials are split over Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman's idea that KTI( National Pro Boxing Commission) and Pertina (Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association) be merged.

"For Pertina the idea is allright if the minister can assure us that it would help boost the quality of national boxing. But he should come up with a concrete idea by setting up a working group for example," Pertina secretary Didiet Sudijoto said Friday.

He said because the minister's proposal was still "vague" the association had not the slightest idea of the kind of boxing body wanted by Hayono.

Didiet proposed that the minister immediately form a working group to comprehensively discuss "the advantages and disadvantages" of a single body governing both amateur and professional boxing activities in the country.

"Then if a consensus is reached it would really provide a shot in the arm for national boxing, which is now in the doldrums, the idea could be soon be realized."

Didiet said the Minister raised that idea perhaps because he sees that in soccer there is only one world body, Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), that governs both amateur and professional soccer.

"But in boxing things are quite different. There is the Amateur Internationl Boxing Association (AIBA) that governs amateur boxing in the world, and more than three world bodies that oversee professional boxing, including the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF), not to mention the lightly regarded World Boxing Organization (WBO), World Boxing Union (WBU) and World Boxing Federation (WBF)," he said.

Minister Hayono raised the idea on Thursday when opening a boxing camp in Bekasi, saying the merger would augur well for efforts to produce more quality boxers.

"It might help spur growing interest in boxing among our youths, which in turn, I believe, could help raise our national boxing standard," Hayono said.

Hail

KTI chief Maj. Gen A.M. Hendroprijono, hailed the minister's idea, saying it would be one of the main items on the agenda of the commission's congress which will be held mid this month in Jakarta.

"We hail the idea. We will do our best to have it realized. I think it will bode well for lifting the quality of our national boxing. We have to admit that most of our good professional boxers turn pro after being amateurs for months or years," Hendroprijono said.

Meanwhile well-known national boxing promoter Tourino Tidar said basically Hayono's idea was good, "but to realize it is not that easy."

"I think the idea cannot be realized overnight since there are a lot of factors and problems that must be considered and ironed out," Tourino said.

He said the development of national boxing "under one roof" could help produce more quality pugilists.

"However the merger should be limited only to organizational matters, since in terms of technical matters and rules, amateur and professional boxing are world's apart. The most important thing is there should be an effective mechanism that can ensure uninterrupted training programs for amateur boxers who wish to fight in the professional ring," Tourino said.

He added there should clear-cut rules allowing boxers to turn pro without a string of rigid requirements. (bas)