Jakarta – The implementation of the international-standard motorcycle racing event, MotoGP, in Mandalika has brought about numerous impacts on the people of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia.
Particularly, it has created job opportunities for the locals as marshals.
A marshal is an officer who assists in providing aid in the race track area in case of accidents during the event.
Maya Watono, Director of Marketing and Tourism Programs at InJourney, mentioned that when the Mandalika circuit first hosted the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), all the marshals were from Dolna.
“For the Marshal Mandalika, when we had WSBK for the first time (in 2021), all the marshals were Caucasians, from Dolna. Not a single local,” Maya said during the Pertamina Indonesian Grand Prix 2023 press conference held at the InJourney office in Jakarta’s Gedung Sarinah on Tuesday, October 3rd.
However, she continued, the 2023 MotoGP at Mandalika presents a great opportunity for the surrounding community to contribute directly as marshals to the championship.
Maya added that as many as 400 marshals, or 95%, are locals who have been prepared for service.
“Then MotoGP (2022), the second WSBK, and now MotoGP (2023), we currently have 400 marshals from Lombok, and even our marshals are being requested to go to Japan,” she said.
“So, other MotoGP events are asking us to come there. It’s amazing. Such a small-scale event has brought extraordinary effects to sports and tourism in Indonesia,” she continued.
On another note, Maya mentioned that her party has meticulously prepared for this motorsport event in terms of infrastructure, access, and implementation.
“This has been well-prepared thanks to the cooperation support from the Ministry of SOEs, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, local government, IMI, local communities, and all stakeholders,” she said.
The InJourney Group, through its subsidiaries ITDC and PT Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) Nusantara Jaya, has carried out various preparations.
Intensive work has been done, ranging from track repairs, marshals’ training, medical centers, paddock facilities, grandstands, to internal roads.
Among the efforts was repainting the kerbs and run-off areas of the circuit. Out of the total area of 27,380 square meters, around 22,000 square meters have been repainted.
Additionally, sensors have been installed for new track limits according to FIM requirements and the timing system.