West Papua has a high spirit ahead of its first National Sports Week which will be held in September 2024. As one of the new provinces in Indonesia, this is the first National Sports Week event attended by all athlete contingents carrying the name of West Papua. This year, the national scale competition that is most awaited by athletes throughout Indonesia will be held in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra. The preparations made by all athletes from West Papua are quite serious because they have gone through various selections and training camps. The sports that will be participated in are also diverse and of course require assistance from the local government through the administrators of each sports federation to provide adequate facilities for athletes who will fight to win medals.
The division of the two provincial regions in the 2024 National Sports Week means that West Papua will send quite a lot of athletes to compete and also officials who will accompany and fulfill all the needs of athletes during the competition. A total of 163 athletes and 81 officials will be sent as representatives of the West Papua contingent. The role of officials is quite important because athletes need companions, especially their coaches who can provide motivation and also help develop the right strategy on match day.
There are 22 sports that will be participated in by athletes from West Papua. Each sport will be participated in by more than one athlete according to the category that will be competed and the rules that apply in the competition. For example, football which will be held in Aceh Province certainly requires at least 11 athletes in the first team and not to mention the reserve players and coaches. Another example is the women’s futsal sport that will be held in North Sumatra Province where one contingent team requires at least 5 athletes as the first team, then several more people who fill the reserve bench and enter the coaching staff.
The preparations made by West Papua Province are training camps for selected athletes. The fitness of the players is certainly the main focus for the coaches because the competition time is getting closer. So in less than a month, the coaches focus on honing the game strategy that will be used in the match and maintaining the physical and mental condition of the athletes so that they remain in prime condition. The hope of the coaches, athletes, and of course the people of West Papua in the first National Sports Week that will be followed is certainly to be given smoothness in every process. Winning medals and championship titles is also the hope for all elements in West Papua so that they can create a sweet history.
