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Indonesian MotoGP attracts post-COVID record crowd

Indonesia is set for its biggest sporting event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when it stages its first motorcycle grand prix in 25 years.

All 63,000 available tickets have been sold for this weekend’s MotoGP Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia at the Mandalika International Street Circuit on the tourist island of Lombok. Many more fans can watch for free from a nearby hill, with 150,000 spectators in total expected.

The event was due to return last year but was delayed due to the pandemic. It will attract double the 30,000 spectators that attended the final round of the Superbike World Championship at Pertamina Mandalika last November.

MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders will be in action on Friday before qualifiers on Saturday and the MotoGP grand prix on Sunday.

“Our target of 60,000 tickets has been sold, thank God,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said a news conference.

“There are 122 million motorcycles in Indonesia. So, they have a huge fans in Indonesia and (MotoGP race) here will make them so happy.”

Sunday’s race is the second stop on the 2022 MotoGP calendar after the opening race in Qatar in early March.

Image: Harlie Raethel on Unsplash

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