The presence of best foreign teams at the amateur boxing tournament, according to manager of the boxing training center for the SEA Games Serta Ginting, is warmly welcomed because it is a rare opportunity for Indonesian boxers to witness and study their foreign counterparts` strengths.
Russia will field the European boxing champion Alexander Klinkov in the amateur President Cup XXI which is scheduled to take place at the Gelora Bung Karno indoor tennis stadium in Jakarta from July 3 through 8, 2011.
"This is what we actually hope the foreign teams to do," Serta Ginting said here on Thursday (June 30).
Commenting on the best foreign boxers presence, Ginting said his teams are not worried about the appearance of a number of foreign boxers.
Meanwhile, Sergei Gondurkaev, the Russian team`s manager said in Jakarta on Saturday that his team came here to grab the gold medal, especially in the 69 kilogram class.
"We have with us Alexander Klinkov, the European champion in that class," Gondurkaev said.
The Russian team with its six boxers arrived here on Friday night to participate in the President`s Cup XXI. Russia has great achievements in world amateur boxing.
To date, the Russian boxers known to have played very neat so they are called the "textbook" in their performance.
The Russian boxers normally fight with a double cover and their feet movement is also very good.
That`s why former national boxer Ferry Moniaga said Russia is a team that deserves to be calculated by Indonesia and the others.
In the meantime, the Australian boxing team which arrived here on Wednesday (June 29) consisting of four male boxers and a single female boxer.
Australia boxing coach Don Abnett said, his team has target to grab one gold medal at the 81 kilogram class.
"Our boxer Damien Hooper was the gold medal winner at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore some time ago," Abnett said.
Hooper grabbed gold medal at the 75 kilogram class in the Youth Olympic Games or at the middle class. Now his level is up to the 81 kilogram class or the light heavyweight.
In addition, the Australian team is also projected to perform at the 2012 London Olympics qualifiers.
According to Hooper not all of his boxers came to Jakarta, because some of them have just returned from Cuba after having exercises.
Thus, they need to take a rest so as to recover their physical condition, Hooper noted, convincing that his team will reach the target. "We come to grab the gold medal," Hooper asserted.
Apart from that, the Mongolian team that also arrived in Jakarta on Friday night declined to comment about the team`s strength.
The Mongolian coach Baatar L., when asked about his team`s target merely said "You will not know until after the closing ceremony concluded."
Baatar said the Mongolian team consisting of six female boxers and one male boxer.
"We leave Ulanbator, the Mongolian capital city for Seoul, South Korea, then we directly fly to Jakarta. We are very tired after ten hours traveling?" Baatar said.
In addition, Kazakhstan`s team arrived in Jakarta at 01.30 am Saturday.
So far, as many as 25 countries have confirmed to participate in the amateur boxing tournament which is scheduled to be opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday (July 4).
Information obtained from the tournament organizing committee said the participating countries are Afghanistan (two males, two females), Bhutan (four males), Botswana (two males), Hong Kong (two males), Iran (eight males), Japan (eight males), Kazakhstan (three males), New Zealand (two females), Nepal (one male-one female), Nigeria (two males-two females), The Philippine (six males-three females), Russia (eight males), Siera Leone (seven males-three females), Singapore (six males), South Korea (eight males-two females), Taiwan (five males-two females), Thailand (six males- four females), Turkmenistan (five males-one female), Australia (four males-one female), China (five males- two females), India (eight males), Myanmar (six males - four females), Mongolia (one male - six females), Tajikistan (one male-one female), Indonesia (24 males-18 females).
However, four countries have not yet confirmed the number of their boxers, namely Malaysia, Kyrgistan, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
Regarding Indonesia`s team`s target in the boxing tournament, Setya Novanto, Executive Board chairman of the Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association (PB Pertina) said, Indonesian contingent want to become overall champion, so that boxing can create a good image to the nation.
The host Indonesia provides three teams, namely Garuda, Rajawali, and Elang, each with eight male and six female boxers.
The boxing championship was held back after a vacuum for seven years and as a preparation for the upcoming SEA Games.
(T.B003/HAJM/H-YH)
Reporter: by Bustanuddin
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
