Bali has been
appointed Sports Tourism Hub of Asia thanks to continuous efforts by tourism
stakeholders to develop sports tourism on the island.Bali frequently hosts a
variety of international sports events.
At the opening
session of the 2013 Congress of the International Association of Sports Law,
held recently in Sanur,it was announced that the island would receive the
title from the international organization.
Bali Governor
Made Mangku Pastika was scheduled to receive the award,but an urgent matter
caused him to miss the event,instead Hinca Panjaitan,head of the congress
organizing committee,represented the governor.
“We are honored
by the trust given to Bali,and we hope that the people of Bali can make the
best of this new title.”
Chairman of the
Bali Tourism Board,Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya, said that this new title was in
addition to the long list of awards the island had received.
“Bali has been
named the best island destination by tourists numerous times,winning awards
for many years.The island has been named the best spa destination in the world
and is now Asia’s sports tourism hub.”
He said the
board would support the government of Bali in making sports tourism the leading
sector in the island’s multi-faceted tourism.
Sports tourism
is branded under the logo “Bali Sporti”,a collective commitment endorsed and
shared between the Bali Tourism Board and the Bali chapter of the Indonesian
National Sports Committee (KONI).
Under the brand
Bali Sporti,both organizations would work together to endorse specific sports
events that contribute to the increase of tourists into Bali.
The initial
event will be the Bali Highway Half Marathon to be held on Nov.17 in Nusa Dua,with the new Bali Mandara toll road designated as the running course.
This marathon
event is endorsed by the Bali Sporti brand, and therefore,is fully supported
by the government and the private tourism sector. Four national bodies will
recognize this race,namely the Tourism and Creative Industry Ministry,the
Youth and Sports Ministry,the Public Works Ministry and KONI.
“A collective
work by all,this Bali Highway Half Marathon is the first and only marathon in
Indonesia to be held at night,under the full moon and the stars, and over the
sea,”Wijaya said.
There will be
three categories:the 21 kilometer (km) or half marathon for athletes and
professional runners;10 km for recreational runners;and the 3.14 km,or Pi
Fun Run,for families.
“The Pi Run is
the first and only one in the world.It is named after the value used to
calculate the circumference of a circle in mathematics.This fun run category
is targeted for families because it is an easy distance,even for 10-year-old
participants,”he explained.
The marathon is
part of the Bali Sports Week,in which some other competitions are slated to
take place,including cycling,futsal,golf and motocross.
With its limited
preparation time—only two months,this inaugural event was expected to
attract some 3,000 participants,Wijaya said,adding that the board would plan
bigger events in the coming years.
The board
decided to hold the event in November,which is a low season for Bali’s
tourism,in a bid to attract more visitors to the island throughout the year.
“This is one of
our strategies to attract more tourists during low season,by holding
interesting events,”Wijaya said.
Sports week will
also be held at the same time as the annual Nusa Dua Fiesta that features
various art and culture events in Nusa Dua on the southern tip of the island.
In a bid to
attract more participants,the board is partnering with Garuda Indonesia.The
national flag-carrier will give 15 percent discount for economy class
passengers on domestic flights and 20 percent discount for economy class
international flights during the days leading up to the event.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com