We are ready (to host) the World Superbike (championship), but this will depend on the COVID-19 situation.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is ready to host the World Superbike (WSBK) championship in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara, the Tourism and Creative Economy Minister said adding, the number of spectators allowed would depend on the COVID-19 situation.

“We are ready (to host) the World Superbike (championship), but this will depend on the COVID-19 situation. If possible we will adjust the number of spectators (allowed on the circuit),” Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said at a weekly online briefing here on Tuesday.

The organizer will also implement stringent health protocols for athletes, delegates, and spectators at the race, he added.

Construction work on the Mandalika circuit in Lombok Tengah district is still in progress, and is expected to be completed in July or August this year, he informed.

The World Superbike is scheduled to be held from November 12-14, 2021. Twenty-four foreign athletes are expected to participate in the race, Uno said.

The development of the access road to the circuit has reached 70 percent completion, while the airport expansion project is 99 percent complete, the minister said.

The championship is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy in Mandalika and open jobs for local people, he added.

"We hope it would boost people's economy in Mandalika and villages around the region," he remarked.

The WSBK would become a preliminary race before the Mandalika circuit hosts the MotoGP race in March, 2022, he noted.

Earlier, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah had proposed additional direct flights to and from the province during the WSBK championship and the MotoGP event on the Mandalika circuit.

West Nusa Tenggara has many potential tourism spots, but the number of direct flights is still limited, he said.

International events on the Mandalika circuit are expected to revive the tourism sector in West Nusa Tenggara, he added.

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Translator: Nanien Yuniar, Sri Haryati
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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