Jayapura – Papua Province has received the green light regarding their participation in the National Sports Week or PON XXI Aceh – North Sumatra 2024 multi-chapter sports competition. Chairman of the Indonesian National Sports Committee or KONI Papua, Kenius Kogoya stated that the PON Papua contingent will be dispatched to Aceh and North Sumatra after the commemoration of the 79th Indonesian Independence Day.
Papua Province confirmed the participation of Papuan athletes in PON XXI after KONI Papua representatives attended the Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM) for the Aceh Region which took place on August 11-15, 2024. DRM is the stage of determining the validity of athletes and officials who will appear in PON XXI.
Chairman of KONI Papua, Kenius Kogoya stated that the PON XXI contingent could certainly participate in PON XXI after the Papua Provincial Government ensured the availability of Rp 35 billion to finance the contingent’s departure.
“Papua Joins PON. This certainty after the Papua Provincial Government ensured the budget for the PON Contingent was available. KONI will immediately coordinate for the release schedule of the PON Papua Contingent to Aceh and North Sumatra,” Kogoya said.
Kogoya estimates that the PON Papua contingent will depart for Aceh and North Sumatra on August 22 or 23, 2024. “KONI in the last few days will coordinate with the Papua Provincial Government regarding the time adjustment of the Acting Governor and Regional Secretary of Papua Province to release the contingent,” he said.
KONI urges athletes, coaches, and officials who will be dispatched to Aceh and North Sumatra to prepare themselves well. Kogoya hopes that the remaining time before participating in PON XXI will be used to finalize the athletes’ preparations.
He reminded that the PON XXI arena locations are scattered in a number of different districts, with far apart locations. Athletes and coaches must prepare themselves well, so that they can maintain their condition while participating in PON XXI.
“The distance to the venues in both provinces, Aceh and North Sumatra, is quite far and located in [several] districts. Our athletes must prepare themselves well, because the distance is quite far. We hope they can arrive on time and can make various adjustments,” he said.
Acting Governor of Papua, Ramses Limbong confirmed that a budget of Rp35 billion to finance the participation of the Papua PON Contingent in PON XXI is already available. He said the formation of the PON Papua Contingent is the task of KONI Papua.
“For PON Papua Contingent, already clear. The budget has been agreed and submitted, everything is clear. For the National Paralympic Week too. As for [the formation of] the PON Contingent, it’s not my job, it’s the job of KONI [Papua],” he said.
Papua House of Representatives Chairman, Jhony Banua Rouw urged KONI Papua to immediately form the PON Papua Contingent. “We hope the contingent will be formed soon. Not just talking about money, so that we prepare all the things. KONI should understand what they have to do,” Banua Rouw said.
