The Indonesian Amateur Boxing Association (Pertina) announced Saturday its plan to revive the President’s Cup international championships, starting in May next year.
The suspension of the annual tournament was partly blamed for the country’s poor performance in the sport until now, Pertina chairman Setya Novanto said on the sidelines of a national congress in Batam, as quoted by Antara.
“The President’s Cup must be reinstated as part of our strategy to generate champions in regional and international boxing events. Since the 1980s our boxers have not won any gold medal in Asian, let alone world, competitions,” said Setya, who is a businessman and Golkar Party executive.
Pertina, however, has remained indecisive about where the tournament will be held — the first since its suspension in 2004.
The President’s Cup gave birth to national boxers who excelled in the Asian Games and Asian Championships, such as Syamsul Anwar Harahap, Ferry Moniaga and Pino Bahari.
The tournament featured top pugilists from boxing powerhouses such as the United States, Cuba and Soviet Union.
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