Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Cycling Federation (PB ISSI) is sending four junior athletes to compete at the BMX World Championships U-18 in Papendal, the Netherlands, which will take place from August 17 to August 22, 2021.
The four athletes have been selected based on their junior world rankings -- Aditya (8), Alfauzan (15), Jasmine Azzahra (6), and Amellya Nur Sifa (17), Indonesian Cycling Federation's Secretary General Parama Nugroho disclosed at an online press conference here on Saturday.
The athletes will be accompanied by two coaches -- former national team riders Toni Syarifudin and Ari Kristanto -- and will leave for the Netherlands on Monday (August 16, 2021), he said.
Their participation in the World Championships in the Netherlands is expected to improve Indonesia's BMX junior's global ranking, which currently stands at fifth, Nugroho said.
Sending athletes to Europe has been considered very necessary because the Indonesian Cycling Federation cannot keep waiting and relying on championships in Asia and only within the country due to many cancellations of tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
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"Their target at the BMX World Championship U-18 is to improve each individual's world ranking and Indonesia's position because it is highly effective as for almost 1.5 years of no race. It obviously will have a positive impact on the athletes' rankings,'' Nugroho observed.
"Furthermore, it is also meant to increase the racing experience of junior athletes who will, for the first time, ride on the BMX Supercross Circuit in Papendal, the Netherlands," he added.
Meanwhile, daily chairman of Indonesian Cycling Federation, Inspector General of Police Wahyu Hadiningrat, advised the athletes to take care of their health while in the Netherlands and avoid being exposed to COVID-19.
"I would like to thank all athletes for their passion and dedication in participating in every training program. I remind the athletes to always be enthusiastic about the training process so that they can give their best performance in every competition," Hadiningrat said in a written statement.
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