Indonesia to join Rainforest Challenge

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Off-road Federation (IOF) will send a team to the Rainforest Challenge 2005 in Malaysia, which runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 5.

IOF chairman Djoko Pramono said here on Thursday that the team, named Srongpas, would comprise 11 crew members led by Harry Sanusi with Muhammad Harjanto as the main driver.

The other members include Kardiyanto Mudali Hans, Handoko Legono, Grice Yuli Susbandoro, Achmad Mujiran, Imam Suparmo, D. Fahrudin, Yogi Yogaswara, Achmad Husein Mukti and Fredrik Hayakawa Tarigan.

"It will be a good experience for me and I hope I can raise my country's name in a world-class event," Harjanto said during a press conference here on Thursday.

It will be Indonesia's first participation in the event but Djoko, who is the National Sports Council (KONI) head of development affairs, hoped that the team would be able to match world competitors.

Twenty-seven countries have registered for the event: China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, the U.S., South Africa, Guatemala and Indonesia.

The Indonesian team, who will compete in a Toyota FJ 40, will depart on Nov. 22.

"I have no idea about my competitors but I believe I can compete against them... the off-road routes at home are more difficult than those overseas," 2003 Diplomat Challenge champion Harjanto said.