Pertina seeks funds for Darwin trip

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association (Pertina) is seeking funds to send 10 boxers to be tried out at the Arafura Youth Games later this month in Darwin, Australia, in preparation for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Brunei Darussalam in August.

Ferry Moniaga, Pertina's deputy chief of training and coaching affairs, said on Monday that funds will be used for transport fees and board and lodging for six of the 10 boxers.

"KONI (National Sports Council) has agreed to give financial support to four or five boxers. We are now facing a monetary crisis but we still must find additional funds to allow our boxers to compete in the games," he said, adding that the association was calculating the expenses for the boxers' participation in the games.

He said the boxers would compete in 10 weight divisions, excluding heavyweight. He also said that boxers from Southeast Asian countries would likely join the Arafura games for practice.

"We want to grab at least two golds from the Arafura games, like we did two years ago. They played in different weight divisions but all boxers had equal chances," he said. (ivy)