Indonesian BMX National Training Center athlete Rio Akbar made the 2025 Banyuwangi BMX Supercross event supported by Bank BTN at the Muncar BMX Circuit on November 15–16 as part of his preparations for the 2025 Thailand SEA Games.
Rio finished second in the elite men's event with a time of 42.448 seconds, just 0.063 seconds behind Latvian champion Martins Emils. Despite falling short of the fastest time, Rio emphasized that his performance in Banyuwangi served as an important evaluation, including for his long-term goal of securing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"I'm grateful for this result. The Banyuwangi track is very long and technical, so I need to get used to it. I'll use the competition here as a basis for evaluation, as I'll be competing in the SEA Games in Thailand in December. Please pray for me," Rio said in an official statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The Muncar BMX Circuit, known for its 465-meter track with numerous high jump obstacles, is considered by Rio to have provided valuable experience in improving his racing rhythm and technique.
Indonesian rider Rio Akbar competes in the 2025 Banyuwangi BMX Supercross, supported by Bank BTN, at the Muncar BMX Circuit in Banyuwangi, Sunday (November 16, 2025). (ANTARA/HO-PB ISSI)
Also read: Akbar Rio is the 2019 BMX national champion
This international event, which is on the official UCI 2025 agenda, featured 207 riders from various countries, including Latvia, China, and Malaysia. Martins Emils dominated throughout the two days of racing and acknowledged the Banyuwangi circuit's characteristics as distinct from the tracks he's accustomed to in Europe.
“The course is very long, there are lots of high jump obstacles, and the competition is amazing,” said Martins.
He even plans to undergo a month of training in Banyuwangi early next year.
In the elite women's category, national racer Amellya Nur Sifa emerged as the fastest, followed by Latifah.
Amellya called the Muncar BMX Circuit an international-standard facility capable of raising the competitive level of Indonesian athletes on the global stage.
Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani said that Banyuwangi BMX Supercross is the only BMX Racing event in Indonesia that is included in the official UCI agenda this year, while strengthening Banyuwangi's position as a sports tourism district that consistently holds international-standard bicycle racing events.
