JAKARTA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesia's regency in bordering province to Timor Leste, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), will hold a motorbike championship from Saturday and Sunday, aimed at developing tourism in the country's eastern border areas.
The sport tourism was expected to be catered by Timor Leste and domestic motorbike racing enthusiasts, an official of the regency said.
"We have set target to see at least 1,000 people from Timor Leste crossing the border to attend the event here. They would join with at least 6,000 local people to watch the race and attending the related events," Head of North Central Timor (TTU) regency's Tourism Office Yohanes said in a statement.
He added the event would be featured with free style, dance and live music shows performed by musicians from the Indonesian province and Timor Leste's district of Oecussi.
The cross-border race would contend 17 motorbike racing classes with 148 racers had already been registered to take part in the event that would be held in Oemanu circuit, located in the regency's city of Kefamenanu.
"Those racers were from various teams, comprised of 17 from Timor Leste, 9 from Oecussi and 9 from Suai," he said, referring to the teams poised to seize awards provided by provincial police.
Tourism Minister Deputy for Domestic Tourism Development Esthy Reko Astuti said Kefamenanu has previously proved of capable to serve as a cultural city that hosted collaborations of Indonesia and Timor Leste musicians.
She expected the TTU city would be capable to continuously promote tourism activities in border areas, including with sport tourism events, in the future.
