By: Alfred Jigibalom )*
PON XX will be held at the end of 2021. All Papuan people, including students, support this event because it is the first time it has been held on Earth of Cendrawasih, and it is a great honor because local people are trusted to be the organizers.
There will be a massive event from October 2 to 15, 2021 in Papua, namely the XX National Sports Week (PON). This sports competition is very special even though it has been postponed for a year due to the pandemic, because all athletes are eager to compete while enjoying the exotic nature of the Cendrawasih Earth. This is the first time that a national level sporting event has been held, so the local community is very enthusiastic about welcoming it.
Civilians in Bumi Cendrawasih are happy because PON is a grand event, and can raise the name of Papua at the national and even international level. The reason is because during the opening and the match, there must be a live stream broadcast on social media and websites, so that netizens around the world can watch it. They will see how modern Papua is.
That way it will automatically become a free promotion for the Papuan government, because the XX PON live broadcast also shows the exoticism of the Earth of Cendrawasih. Many people will be fascinated by its natural beauty and will plan to travel there, someday after the pandemic is over. If there are many foreign tourists, it will increase the country’s foreign exchange and increase the income of the Papua provincial government.
Not only people in Papua, but the natives of Bumi Cendrawasih who are wandering in Solo also support government programs, including XX PON. Those who are still students express their support and want Papua to be safe and peaceful. Even though the location is far from Earth of Cendrawasih, they still support this sporting event, because it can increase community solidarity.
In addition, students from Papua and West Papua who are currently studying in Ambon also fully support PON XX. They even made a declaration with dozens of other students. The students gave messages to the Papuan people who were there to maintain peace and security, so that XX PON could run smoothly.
Support from the community is very valuable because without their support, it would be quite difficult. The reason is that civilians also contributed to the success of PON XX. Although there has been no decision on whether this event can be watched live or not, they are enthusiastic and ready to become supporters, and share in the splendor of the Lukas Enembe Stadium, which is the main venue for PON XX.
Communities both living in Papua and those who are migrating to other islands also support by promoting this event on social media. Either by uploading an image of the PON XX mascot on Instagram or by sharing news about this sporting event on Facebook. The goal is so that many people know about PON XX and participate in supporting this national sporting event.
In addition, promotions can also be done by creating a thread on Twitter and a special hashtag, so that XX PON will be more viral in cyberspace and worldwide. All international netizens will be curious, what is PON? So that they will also watch live streaming and enjoy various sports matches, ranging from football, volleyball, to swimming.
PON XX is strongly supported by indigenous Papuans, both those living on Earth of Cendrawasih or those who are migrating elsewhere. They are aware that this grand event is very useful, because it can bring the good name of Papua to the international community. So that the Earth of Cendrawasih is known as a safe place to travel.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali
