Java Challenge seeking to expand

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Java Challenge, a national off-road, four-wheel-drive competition running for seven days from Dec. 15, will be looking to go global in the future, organizers said here on Monday.

"We have been dreaming of staging an international off-road competition with participants coming from all over the world," Syamsir Alam, an official with event organizers, the Cheetah Off- Road Club, said.

Syamsir said the national championships, in its second year, was inspired by Malaysia's success with its own event.

"Indonesia is larger than Malaysia, Thailand or the Philippines, but we don't have a big, international-level off- road event.

"In the future, we want to push the Java Challenge onto the world stage as an option for the world's best off-roaders to compete in," he said.

He said the Indonesian Off-Road Federation (IOF) would upgrade the Java Challenge to the Nusantara Challenge with the routes expanding beyond Java Island.

Yustinus Sahlim, the chairman of the organizing committee for the 2002 Java Challenge, said they had invited off-roaders from seven neighboring countries.

"Most of them have not responded. They might think our security situation is still unstable," Yustinus said.

"Only two countries are likely to send their representatives. Though they are not coming to compete, but to observe. Malaysia has already confirmed its participation while the Philippines has yet to follow up," he said.

The 2002 Java Challenge, which, according to the organizers, aims to boost tourism and environmental awareness, will pass through Jakarta, Subang, Cianjur, Sukabumi, Lebak and Carita in Banten, with an overall distance of round 700 kilometers.