Let the Games begin

Musthofid , The Jakarta Post , Samarinda | Sun, 07/06/2008 11:37 AM | Headlines

The 17th National Games (PON) officially opened in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday with an appeal from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to use the event as a springboard to international sporting glory.

"With PON coinciding with celebrations for 100 years of National Awakening, PON should be used as momentum for national sports to awaken and achieve great things in international competitions," the President said during the opening ceremony at the newly built Palaran Stadium outside the city.

Yudhoyono told the assembled athletes to maintain sportsmanship during the event and to preserve sense of unity.

Alfons T. Lung, a tae kwon do athlete from East Kalimantan who won a silver medal at the 1994 Asian Games, lit the cauldron to mark the start of the two-week national sporting showcase.

This year's PON features 11,000 athletes and officials, making it the biggest National Games since the event was first held in 1948. It will also feature the largest number of sports ever with 43, to be staged in six cities and regions - Balikpapan, Berau, Bontang, Kutai Kartanegara, Tarakan and Samarinda.

Representatives from the 33 participating provinces took part in the opening ceremony. The contingents marched into the stadium in alphabetical order, starting with Bali, with the host team entering last.

The competition has already begun for some sports. On Saturday, athletes in chess, rock climbing, soccer, paragliding, indoor volleyball and basketball were in action.

Preliminary matches in the basketball competition continued, with East Java securing a place in the semifinal with the group matches to end Sunday.

However, results of the matches were not readily available to the media. The main media center for the National Games, which is equipped with 100 computers with Internet connections, does not come with TV monitors, making it difficult to follow events.

Sarippuding, a committee chief in charge of competitions, promised to install several monitors. There were also complaints heard from some athletes and coaches.

"Please note, the Islamic Center building is not ready yet for PON. How is it that eight of us have to share a room with bunk beds? There also are only two toilets for a group of 30," Samuel Pong, a tae kwon do coach with the Central Sulawesi contingent, said. The Islamic Center accommodates around 250 athletes and officials.

The 30,000-seat stadium, which workers had to race to complete in time, was packed for the ceremony.

Those in attendance were entertained by a performance of the Polah Daya mass dance, under choreographer Djaduk Feriyanto. The performance traced the cultural richness of the host province.

Saturday's ceremony came after a sometimes problematic buildup to the event.

Preparations stuttered in the wake of political developments in the province, marked by the governor being forced to step down last year over corruption allegations and the hasty installment of Tarmizi Karim as caretaker governor.

The caretaker governor's policies have drawn protests from locals, who have threatened to stage demonstrations at the gubernatorial office.

They might want to heed the message of President Yudhoyono, who reminded the athletes and fans of the PON's theme, which is striving for excellence and strengthening ties of brotherhood. It is to be seen whether the event can lay the foundation for national athletes to succeed on the international stage, as the President urged in his opening speech.

"Welcome to the event. Perform with high spirits and sportsmanship, have a good time watching and make the event a springboard to achieve international fame for the nation."

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