New boxing chief wants to make peace
New boxing chief wants to make peace
JAKARTA (JP): Sang Nyoman Suwisma officially began his four-
year term as chief of the Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association
(Pertina) yesterday with his sights set on an unprecedented
reconciliation with the professional boxing body.
Suwisma said after his induction in a ceremony presided over
by National Sports Council chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar that an
informal meeting between the executives of the two boxing
organizations would be held soon as an initial move to unify the
two.
"The meeting will serve as an open forum where we can
communicate our expectations and set our common goals in boxing.
We can discuss or even criticize each other for the sake of
national boxing development," he said.
Both Pertina and its professional counterpart, the Indonesian
Boxing Committee (KTI), have actually been engaged in a series of
talks about unification efforts but with no clear outcome.
KTI chairman A.M. Hendropriyono was the last to encourage
negotiations between the two boxing bodies.
Suwisma backed up his words by giving former professional
boxer and promoter Boy Bolang a post in the advisory board of the
amateur boxing organization.
Boy fully backed his new boss' plan, saying he would do his
best to help Suwisma.
Wismoyo also lent his support to the unification plan. He said
both the professional and amateur boxing bodies needed a new
boost now that Indonesian boxers from the two divisions had fared
better recently.
He has repeatedly said that boxers must undergo exposure in
amateur bouts before turning professional.
Suwisma expressed his optimism yesterday that his dreams would
come true, although he admitted he could not be deeply involved
in the unification talks due to his military job as chief of the
Tanjungpura Military Command overseeing Kalimantan. He is based
in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
"I will monitor all activities of Pertina from Banjarmasin. I
fully trust my staff because they are already mature in the
boxing world. But the decision will come from me," he said.
"A war leader does not necessary go to the battlefield, does
he?" he added. (emf)