By Niken Prathivi

Indonesian Nouldy Manakane is scheduled to challenge World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight champion Koki Kameda of Japan, looking to take the title in an April 4 bout at Yokohama Arena in Kanagawa.

The match will be the first crack at a title for the Indonesian.

“Now, I won’t say that I’ll knock [Kameda] out or anything, but I’m really determined to bring the title home,” the 28-year-old Nouldy told The Jakarta Post via telephone on Friday.

“It’d be great to beat a fighter in his home ground,” he added.

Nouldy has been Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA) bantamweight (59 kilograms) champion five times since 2010. He earned the title after beating Sirichai Ekchumpol of Thailand in Jakarta.

Nouldy has 24 wins and 10 defeats in 35 fights, having knocked out his last seven opponents.

The Maluku-born fighter said that he had spent two weeks at his manager Hani Yahya Assegaf’s training camp in East Jakarta. “The preparation has gone very well so far.”

Nouldy said that fighting a world champion like Kameda would be very challenging.

“I’ve watched his fighting style on the Internet. He is a bit taller than me, at around 167 centimeters,” said the 165-cm tall fighter. “Things I need to watch out with Kameda are his reaching ability and deadly straight punches.”

In order to survive Kameda’s attack, Nouldy plans to improve his endurance and stamina. “As for fighting strategy, I leave that to my coach.”

Matchmaker Willy Lasut said that the bout would be an important opportunity for the Indonesian boxer to expand his international career.

“Now, Nouldy is the world No. 11 bantamweight. I believe he will raise his ranking after this bout,” Willy told the Post.

The 25-year-old Kameda took on Alexander Munoz of Venezuela for the vacant WBA bantamweight regular title in December 2010. He has defended his title three times – the last match ended in a knock-out of Mario Macias of Mexico in December 2011.

Kameda has recorded 27 wins, with 17 by KO, and lost one in a total of 28 fights.

Kameda was originally planning to fight interim WBA champion Hugo Ruiz, but the Mexican became unavailable after having a bout arranged for him in March and the Japanese champion opted for Nouldy.

Besides Nouldy, Willy will also bring Indonesian Yosmar Kefi and Roberto Kopa Palue to Japan to respectively fight Gaishi Usami and Hiroshige Osawa on April 15 and 30 in an Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation event.