Ninety boxers to slug out Golden Glove tournament

JAKARTA (JP): Ninety boxers are to take part in the annual Golden Glove Boxing Championship in Bogor, West Java, this week.

The Indonesian Boxing Association's executive director, Imron ZS, said yesterday that 88 boxers have registered for the championship, which is to be staged from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9, and three host athletes have received wild cards for the tournament.

"But one boxer from East Java has withdrawn from the championship for an unknown reason," he said.

Didiet Soedijoto, the association's secretary-general, told reporters that Kanser Muda withdrew due to a recent accident.

Organizers' Chairman Kiky Saritoun said that South Sumatra, Irian Jaya and Central Kalimantan boxers have registered. North Sumatra has yet to confirm its participation but its boxers have arrived in Bogor.

Imron said that the championship, which is only open to the country's best boxers, is useful to boost national athletes' performance in upcoming international tournaments and to increase their quality.

"The association sees the tournament as a way to find young talented boxers, who will be groomed to be the country's main squad for the SEA Games," he said.

The championship, which is to feature 11 classes, will not feature national boxer Hendrik Simangunsong, who represents North Sumatra, and Rahman Kili-kili from Jakarta.

They both rejected the offer to join the country's national training program, which started in November. Thirty three boxers are participating in the program but only 11 are to be picked for the country's final squad.

"The association considers they rejected the offer to join the training," Imron said.

Rahman is reportedly planning to relinquish his amateur status to turn pro in the next few months.

Imron said that the North Sumatra chapter has yet to send any information on Hendrik. Hendrik's father visited the association earlier this month asking for special treatment for Hendrik.

"His father asked the association to start the program after Idul Fitri for Hendrik and urged us to help his family financially as soon as Hendrik joins the program," Imron said.

"The association never gives special treatment to individual boxers," he added.

Didiet said that another boxer, La Paene Masara, who reached the Olympic Games' quarterfinals in the 48kg class, will also miss the tournament as he has family business in his hometown in Maluku.

Imron refuted the possibility that La Paene's absence was due to weight problems.

"If the reason is because he is overweight then he was being undisciplined during a previous program," he said. (yan)