Jakarta (ANTARA) – Several riders competing in the 2023 MotoGP Mandalika series this weekend participated in a beach clean-up and coral reef planting to support environmental protection and local community at Kuta Mandalika Beach, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.The activity was held on Thursday (October 12) and began with guidelines being provided to the riders before they planted coral fragments on the seabed at a depth of up to 10 meters.
Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), with the Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) and DyandraandCo. as the initiators, aimed to ensure that events held at the Mandalika Circuit will bring a positive impact on the surrounding environment.
“ITDC, as the developer and manager of The Mandalika tourism area, is committed to carrying out environmental conservation initiatives, including planting coral reefs,” ITDC Business Development Director Ema Widiastuti noted in a statement on Friday.
Several MotoGP riders that took part in this activity were Takaaki Nakagami, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Somkiat Chantra, Ai Ogura, and Ayumu Sasaki.
Her side also ensures that these activities are aligned with the vision of tourism development and long-term sustainability to bring benefits to the local communities.
Widiastuti remarked that coral reef planting activities in The Mandalika are an integral part of ITDC’s sustainable strategy in developing the area.
“Through collaboration with local stakeholders and related parties, ITDC ensures that this program will not only bring impact to the marine ecosystem but also contribute to the welfare of the surrounding community,” she noted.
The Mandalika MotoGP event starts on Friday, with the first practice session for the Moto3 class at 9:00 local time and followed by the first practice session for the Moto2 class. Meanwhile, MotoGP riders are scheduled to start free practice (FP1) at 10:45 local time, followed by the FP1 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup.
The Moto3 and Moto2 riders will then return for a second practice followed by a practice session for the MotoGP riders. The first day of the event will end with the FP2 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup that is scheduled to finish at 17:00 local time.
For the second day, Moto3 riders will start the third practice session at 8:40 local time followed by the third practice for the Moto2 riders. MotoGP riders will start doing FP2, qualifying 1, and qualifying 2.
The session will be followed by qualification for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup and then continue with qualifications 1 and 2 for the Moto3 and Moto2. In the afternoon, the Sprint Race is scheduled for 15:00 local time and the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup will then start race session 1.
On the last day, activities will start with race 2 of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup followed by a warm-up and Rider Fan Parade session by MotoGP riders. The Moto3 race session will start at 12:00 local time, followed by the Moto2 race session at 13:15 local time, and the MotoGP race at 15:00 local time.
Source: Antara News Agency