Badminton is an interesting and popular sport in Indonesia, including in the West Papua region. Starting from 1930, badminton began to set foot in Indonesia and has become one of the most popular sports in the community.
In 1933, an Indonesian badminton organization named Bataviase Badminton Bond and Bataviase Badminton League was established. Both then merged into one very solid badminton organization. In 1934, Indonesia organized several badminton championships in Java, most of which were centered in Bandung, West Java. The existence of badminton championships indicated that the Indonesian people at that time were quite happy with the presence of badminton.
In 1949, the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) was established to organize badminton in Indonesia. After PBSI was established, the first congress was held to discuss the rules and objectives of badminton in Indonesia. Next, badminton began to shine in Indonesia, even some of its athletes successfully made the nation proud in the international arena, including Rudi Hartono, Tan Joe Hok, Liem Swie King, Christian Hadinata, Susi Susanti, Alan Budi Kusuma, and Taufik Hidayat. Not only that, until now there are still several names that have made Indonesia famous in badminton.
In 2021, there is an initiative to encourage the improvement of badminton in West Papua. The momentum of the badminton revival in West Papua resulted in several athletes who succeeded in improving badminton achievements in the region.
Some of the steps taken to advance badminton in West Papua:
- Improved facilities: The government and KONI (Indonesian National Sports Committee) provide the best facilities for badminton athletes in West Papua. This is the basis for improving badminton achievements in the region.
- Activity management: PBSI Southwest Papua collaborates with the government to advance badminton sports in Southwest Papua. This is a step to organize and manage badminton activities in the region.
- Sports organization: PBSI as an organization that regulates badminton sports activities in Indonesia, stands on the goal to improve badminton sports in Indonesia, including in the West Papua region.
- Organizing championships: PBSI West Papua held the KONI Chairman’s Cup badminton championship, which became one of the activities that improved badminton achievements in the region.
With assistance from the government, sports organizations, and championship activities, badminton in West Papua is growing and becoming one of the most popular sports in the region.
Badminton in West Papua is an attractive sport that has the potential to improve health and society. PBSI aims to improve badminton in Indonesia, including in the West Papua region. With initiatives such as these, it is anticipated that badminton in West Papua will grow and become one of the most popular sports in the region.
