As many as 300 athletes from seven countries will take part in the Southeast Asian Kurash Championship (KUSEA) which will be held in West Nusa Tenggara from August 28 to September 1, 2025.
"There are 300 athletes from seven countries in Southeast Asia who have registered with the committee," said the Chair of the 2025 KUSEA Committee, Vibrianti Savitri in Mataram, Wednesday.
He mentioned the seven countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar.
"Actually, there are eight countries participating, but we are still waiting for one country that has not yet confirmed its participation in this tournament," he said.
Vibrianti stated that the KUSEA championship will be centered in the Senggigi Beach tourist area in West Lombok Regency. Kurash competitions will be divided into two categories: indoor and beach kurash (outdoor). Each category will have 27 competition classes.
"So there will be a total of 54 matches during the five-day championship," he said.
According to him, Indonesia is fielding 98 athletes in this championship, including 15 from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), across various age categories, from cadets, juniors, seniors, and veterans.
"All of these athletes have experience competing on the international stage. We are optimistic that Indonesia will contribute many medals," emphasized the General Treasurer of PB Kurash Indonesia.
Vibrianti added that NTB's decision to host the event was based on infrastructure readiness and tourism potential. According to her, NTB has extraordinary tourism potential that other regions don't have.
"I'm sure the athletes and officials won't just compete, but will also enjoy the natural beauty of NTB," he said.
He stated that the tournament had been reported to NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, the NTB Youth and Sports Agency, and the NTB Tourism Agency. He noted that the tournament would also support NTB's development as a sports tourism destination and promote its leading tourism destinations.
"The athletes who came not only competed but also enjoyed the natural attractions in NTB, because we have so many natural attractions that need to be introduced," he said, accompanied by Pangestu Eddy, Secretary of the Committee and Deputy Secretary General of PB Kurash Indonesia.
