Sowing hope through PON Papua

When Papua was designated as the host of the XX National Sports Week (PON) eight years ago, there was hope that PON could be a momentum to spur the development of sports infrastructure and the Papuan economy.

This determination also marks the first time that PON will be held in the easternmost province of Indonesia after South Sulawesi, which hosted it in 1957.

For Papua, PON is considered to be the right moment to accelerate development in Papua because there will be construction of a number of infrastructure and sports facilities, which so far have focused more on the island of Java.

PON Papua 2021 will be held in four regions, namely Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Mimika Regency, and Merauke Regency by competing in 37 sports, 56 sports disciplines, 679 match numbers.

PON Papua will also be attended by around 6500 athletes from all provinces in Indonesia. Their presence will encourage the economy of the surrounding community, ranging from handicrafts, plantations to tourism.

In addition, there are several arenas that have been completely built, including the Papua Bangkit Stadium, an aquatic arena, a hockey field, cricket, archery, and a number of GOR in Jayapura and Mimika districts.

The presence of these arenas, such as istora and aquatic arenas that have international standards, are expected to become venues for organizing sports activities, both national and international, that can bring participants and spectators from outside the region and even abroad.

With the championship event, surely it will also trigger the Papuan economy through the SME and tourism sectors.

Governor Lukas Enembe enthusiastically welcomed the PON plan in his region. The reason is, it is not only a sporting event and a momentum for Papua's development, but also a strategic tool to build Papua's image in the national eye.

“PON is a symbol of brotherhood. Papua is part of Indonesia, we are one Indonesia. This is also an image of Papua in the national eye that our area is safe to visit, that we are rich in cultural and tourism potential that can be enjoyed,” said Lukas, February 2020.

A similar hope was conveyed by a Papuan, Echa Dogopia. He welcomed the PON event in Papua because it could help the development of sports infrastructure in Papua.

"With the PON in Papua, it is very helpful in infrastructure development, such as roads, stadiums, then later there will also be an Athlete's House for athletes who will participate in PON," said Echa when contacted by Antara from Jakarta, some time ago.

"PON will also help indigenous Papuans to work in new jobs that will be or have been opened by local governments and it will help the economy and community SMEs, especially for indigenous Papuans," he continued.

Echa admits that not many people know the potential of Papua. Therefore, the PON event in Papua is very important for the promotion of the Earth of Cendrawasih nationally and internationally.

Behind these hopes, Echa also underlined one more important thing, namely the commitment of the government and the community in maintaining the assets and infrastructure that had been built at a cost of up to billions of rupiah.

"With the exposure of Papua through PON, people can be more aware of Papua's capabilities, including its natural resources and tourism,"

“But it is also necessary to educate the public because we all know that the government has used large funds to build infrastructure. I hope that the community and the government can maintain the assets that have been built," he said.

This concern was also conveyed by sports observer Djoko Pekik Irianto. According to him, the local government should start thinking about a strategy for maintaining the PON arena. Do not let classic problems such as the number of abandoned facilities after the implementation of the PON continue to repeat itself.

Djoko said the former PON arenas were abandoned after the 2008 PON East Kalimantan, PON 2012 Riau, and PON 2016 West Java. Even though the development has cost billions and even trillions, both using the APBN and APBD budgets.

He said that local governments need to cooperate with the private sector if they do not want to be too burdened with the responsibility of caring for PON assets. According to him, if left to the private sector, they can ensure that there will be sustainable activities in the Papua PON arena in the future.

“The local government cannot manage it alone, but must cooperate with partners, either the private sector, and so on for maintenance. We can't leave it to the service because they have their own duties and functions," Djoko told Antara, some time ago.

Djoko continued that by cooperating with a third party, stadiums or sports arenas could be commercialized so that they could get income to increase the maintenance budget.

In addition, Djoko also suggested that the provincial government could make these arenas a place for regional training centers (pelatda) for Papuan athletes. The goal is that the arena that has received international standards is not neglected and can be maintained because of activities.

"Or if there is an agreement, later on, national athletes can conduct national training to prepare for the SEA Games or the Asian Games in Papua," he said.

PON Papua was in doubt amid various current conditions, ranging from security issues to health, considering that it will take place in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Grand Committee or PB PON Papua has guaranteed that Papua is very safe to hold the four-yearly national sports party so that they invite anyone not to hesitate to come and make PON Papua a success. This is because the success of the Papua PON is not only related to the pride of Papua, but also the entire Indonesian nation.

The success of the 2021 PON—if there are no more delays or cancellations—seems to not only sow hopes for accelerated development in Papua, but also an opportunity to prove to the world how Indonesia has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE: https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2257738/semai-harapan-via-pon-papua