SPORT – Let’s talk about other sports than football. Volleyball is not the number one sport that is most popular with people in Papua. There are several other sports that are more popular and have become favorite sports in Papua, such as football and badminton. Volleyball has recently begun to gain a place as one of the people’s favorite sports in Papua. Facilities that are starting to be paid attention to are one of the reasons why children and even teenagers have started playing volleyball. Several facilities are starting to be used for serious training for athletes who are projected to become volleyball athletes who can represent Papua in various competitions.
The Indonesian Volleyball Association (PBVSI) as the association of volleyball in Indonesia is starting to aggressively search for talented athletes spread throughout Papua. Preparations for the National Sports Week (PON) also began after in the previous edition when Papua was the host, the achievements of the Papuan volleyball sport began to show significant results by succeeding in at least winning. In fact, the women’s volleyball team from Papua won a gold medal when competing at PORNAS XVI 2023 which was held in Semarang, Central Java. The Papuan women’s volleyball team beat the Central Java women’s volleyball team by winning in three straight sets.
The achievements shown by the volleyball teams, both men’s and especially women’s, who compete on the national stage, add to the motivation for people to love playing this sport even more. Another achievement demonstrated by the volleyball team from Papua was when they competed in one of the most prestigious national volleyball competitions “National Police Chief Cup 2023”. There is a long way to go to be able to compete in the main competition because they have to go through preliminary rounds first in their respective regions. The volleyball team from Papua apparently succeeded in reaching the national championship after becoming number one in Indonesia’s Eastern Region.
To be able to realize even better achievements, of course there must be even more optimal coaching. Existing facilities need to be maintained and equipped. The process of searching and selecting talented athletes must also be increasingly intensified so that in the future the name Papua will become more famous in the sport of volleyball. Budgets related to sports managed by PBVSI and the National Sports Committee (KONI) should also be utilized as best as possible. In the future, believe it or not , maybe volleyball will become more popular than football in Papua because of its achievements.