By: Abner Wanggai) *
The XX National Sports Week, held in Papua in October 2021, will be an important moment for the people there. They feel proud to be the host of a national caliber competition, and happy because they are considered capable of being the organizers of a large event. The community is ready to welcome athletes and officials from other provinces.
Watching sports competitions is a way for Indonesians to relax, as well as a great place to unite them. The reason is because many people are football crazy and are also interested in other sports, and come together to support their favorite team.
There will be exciting sports matches from October 20 to November 4, 2021, namely PON XX. This event, which is held in Papua, has become an event that sports lovers have been waiting for, because they can watch swimming competitions, running, etc. PON XX has the slogan “no one can!” And will be followed by 6,442 athletes from various provinces in Indonesia.
At the current PON, Papua was chosen to host, because this province defeated Aceh and Bali in voting at the KONI member meeting. When Papua was successfully chosen to host, the people cheered because they had been waiting for this opportunity for decades. In the past, during the Old Order era, there were plans for PON to be held in Papua. However, because it changed to the new order, it was canceled.
People in Bumi Cendrawasih are very happy because PON is finally being held in Papua. This shows that the central government believes in the ability of Papuans who are on the committee, so that their intelligence and capability are recognized. Because the organizer of an event as big as PON must be smart, decisive, and responsive in preparation and implementation.
In addition, people in Papua are proud of PON XX, by seeing the Lukas Enembe Stadium and other venues directly, even from the outside. They deliberately took pictures as a memento, then uploaded them to social media. The photos are at the same time promotional, showing that Papua is a safe place.
The community also promised to welcome athletes and officials from other provinces when the PON was held. They greet with hospitality, and show that Papuans are very welcome to outsiders. Thus, it shows that there is no racism on Earth of Cendrawasih, because the entire community remembers to carry out the motto of diversity in diversity.
When the match was held, the supporters cheered and supported their idol team. Papuans remain fair and accept the referee’s decision, regardless of the outcome. Because sports competitions show the sportsmanship and cohesiveness of the citizens, and should not end in chaos.
The security factor is also maintained so that there is no chaos or chaos caused by separatist groups. The community helps the authorities to keep PON running smoothly, by providing information. When there is something suspicious, they will immediately report it, so that it can be prevented as soon as possible.
In addition, PON will bring the name Papua to the international community. When PON is opened, there will be live broadcasts that can be watched via the internet. So that not only the Indonesian people can see it, but also netizens around the world. They will see that Papua is so beautiful and modern, and not synonymous with isolated tribes.
The XX PON in Papua is very welcomed by the Papuan people, because this sporting competition has made Earth of Cendrawasih famous in cyberspace. The community is happy because PON is advancing Papua, and many stadiums and other venues were built that could be used after this event was over. They will wholeheartedly welcome the athletes’ guests from other provinces.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta
