By: Alfred Jigibalom ) *
The government continues to optimize the implementation of PON XX Papua. One of these efforts is to provide a vaccination program for athletes who will compete to be protected from the spread of the Corona virus.
This year, Japan is not only busy with preparations for the Summer Olympics which must be adjusted to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Apart from the land of the rising sun, Indonesia also has a national event that must be successful, namely the XX National Sports Week (PON) in 2021.
PON is not at the level of the Olympics, but both are multi-events involving many athletes and many factors, including meeting health standards in the midst of the corona virus outbreak that has not subsided.
It is no different from the implementation of the Olympics in Tokyo, where the international event had to be postponed for one year due to the pandemic, as well as the XX Papua PON, which is planned to be held in 2020, has to be postponed for 1 year and will be implemented with several new rules, such as regulations restricting community activities not possible to hold this big event.
In terms of infrastructure readiness, of course the committee had more time with this delay.
The PON XX Papua committee has also stated that it is ready to hold the biggest sports party in four years.
PB PON Daily Chairman Yunus Wonda revealed that Papua’s readiness as the host has reached 90%.
In the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, the committee has started to make adjustments in the preparation process, for example the inauguration of the arenas that have been done virtually.
When setting a one-year delay, everyone hoped that the pandemic was over and there would be no more restrictions and other barriers to community activities.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) and a number of epidemic experts in a recent statement warned that the Covid-19 pandemic will last a long time, even though vaccination programs have started to be implemented around the world.
From the results of the WHO study, it was confirmed that in 2021 all regulations related to health protocols must still be applied as a condition for holding various activities that invite crowds including sports.
By carrying out the tagline “torang can” PON XX will be followed by as many as 6,484 athletes, plus support staff who number in the thousands.
The multievent will compete for 37 sports that will be competed in various arenas in the Jayapura City cluster, Jayapura Regency Cluster, Mimika Cluster and Merauke Cluster.
This activity that will involve many people and many processions that must be carried out is also a challenge for the organizers in making PON in Papua a safe PON to be implemented during the Pandemic.
Meanwhile, with the commencement of Covid-19 vaccination in Indonesia, at least this will be one of optimism for sportsmen and their staff.
However, athletes who want to participate in XX PON, must be patient because they do not automatically get the vaccine, which production is still limited, while many have to be inoculated.
The IOC also disagrees that athletes should “jump the line” for vaccines because the top priority is for health workers and the vulnerable.
A number of countries, such as Israel, Hungary and several European countries, have started vaccinating their athletes, following the completion of inoculation of their health workers.
In Indonesia, it is still in the process of completing the first phase of mass vaccination for health workers and a number of people who are deemed worthy of initial injection.
So there is hope among athletes who will get their turn in the near future through the second phase of the national vaccination program.
Athletes are among the professions that will receive the phase 2 vaccine, in addition to educators, journalists and transportation workers, and other groups of workers.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) has also made a list of athletes who are prioritized for vaccination to be submitted to the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes).
In the near future, athletes who will participate in official competitions, both at home and abroad, will be prioritized for getting vaccines immediately. Among them are badminton athletes who will compete in Europe, and football which will hold the 1st league competition and the national team national team.
With the vaccination of athletes, of course this will support the implementation of sports competitions in Indonesia, which have long been vacant due to the pandemic.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Solo
