By: Aditya Nugroho)*
PON XX Papua will continue even though it is held in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic . There will be no schedule shift, because the Committee has anticipated the event from both a health and safety perspective.
Indonesian people who like to watch sporting events immediately cheered when there was a XX PON match broadcast from Papua. They want to watch football matches, athletics, racing, swimming, and various other sports. But unfortunately PON XX was postponed from its original schedule, from 2020 to 2021, due to pandemic reasons.
When 2021 is still a pandemic, will PON XX Papua be postponed again? This was denied by the General Chairman of KONI DKI Jakarta, Laksma TNI (Ret.) Djamhuron P Wibowo. According to him, PON XX will not be postponed again despite the pandemic. The reason is because this event has been prepared for a long time and it’s time to compete.
Imagine if PON XX is postponed again, even though the preparations are very mature, it will increase costs. If there is a delay for example for a year, then there will be maintenance costs at the stadium, aquatic arena, and various other arenas. So that it will burden the Papua and West Papua provincial budgets. In fact, the money could be used for other things.
Another reason for the schedule for the XX Papua PON, which will still be held in 2021, is that the implementation is certain to comply with health protocols. Everyone in PON, both athletes, coaches, to the committee and the surrounding community have been vaccinated against the corona virus, so there will be no new clusters. They are also required to wear masks and keep their distance.
It is likely that PON XX will also be held without spectators, as at the Tokyo Olympics. This is done to comply with physical distancing health protocols . But the audience will not be disappointed because they can watch it via the internet, even more complete because there are commentators and match reviews.
Therefore, PON XX will still be held from 2 to 15 October in Papua. The community doesn’t really appreciate the absence of delays, because they’ve been waiting for quality sports shows. After the ASEAN Games in 2018, there have been no major sporting events broadcast live on television or the internet.
It is natural that XX PON is not postponed anymore because this sporting event is not just broadcasting a mere match, but an educational entertainment, because it also teaches sportsmanship and fair play . If people watch it, they will be inspired and live life in a sporting manner, without tripping over each other.
In addition, PON also teaches to live a healthy life. People will exercise more often, so it is natural that there is a jargon of ‘exercise people and promote sports’. Especially in the midst of a pandemic, more and more people are obese because they snack too often at home, even though obesity can trigger many diseases.
PON XX will still be held in Papua even though we are still in the pandemic period, and when it is postponed again, it is not necessarily a few months later that it will be completely free of corona. There have been several steps to minimize the risk of new clusters forming, by vaccinating all parties and practicing the 10M health protocol. So don’t worry anymore.
The 20th National Sports Week is the moment that Papuans have been waiting for because they are very proud. Therefore, this event will not be postponed any longer, because the preparations have been very thorough. PON brings many positive effects in society, therefore, its broadcast is also awaited by many people, because it is an educative entertainment.
)* The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute