Pre-World Rafting Championship To Be Held On Citarik River

Jakarta, Aug 18 (Antara) - The Indonesian Rafting Federation (FAJI) will hold a pre-world rafting championship on the Citarik River, Sukabumi District, West Java Province, in late November 2014, as a trial event for the competing world-class teams. "There will be (teams from) five to ten different countries. They wanted to have a shot at the Citarik River before competing in the world championship that will be held next year," General Secretary of FAJI Adiseno stated here on Monday. Indonesia was selected by the International Rafting Federation (IRF) to host the International World R6 Rafting Championship in 2015. The Citarik River`s current met the IRF`s requirements, as well as its capability to accommodate more than 1.2 thousand athletes and officials, due to which it was chosen as the venue for the six paddlers world rafting championship in November 2015. "There are also some experienced rafting operators such as the Caldera and Arus Liar," he pointed out. "It has been a tradition to organize a pre-event at the same venue, which will host the world championship a year before, so that the participants can test the arena," Adiseno affirmed. Top class teams from overseas countries, such as Europe, Asia, Japan, and Kazakhstan, are expected to be tough competitors. "Our national teams can also have the opportunity to test the world`s best team in the pre-championship," he noted. More than one thousand athletes from 60 countries are expected to participate in the 2015 World Rafting Championship to be held on the Citarik River, Sukabumi. Meanwhile, in October 2014, the World R-4 Rafting Championship will be held in Brazil. Indonesia will send a junior team from Banten to compete in the South American country.