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PON expected to invigorate Papuan development
PON 2020: President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo (center), accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (second right) and Papua Vice Governor Klemen Tinal (left), inaugurates the beginning of a sports facility construction in Jayapura, Papua, on Saturday
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span class="inline inline-center">PON 2020: President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (center), accompanied by Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (second right) and Papua Vice Governor Klemen Tinal (left), inaugurates the beginning of a sports facility construction in Jayapura, Papua, on Saturday. The ceremony commenced the province's preparations as host of the 2020 National Games (PON). Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.
President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has expressed hopes that the development of sports venues for the 2020 National Games (PON) in Papua could improve the connectivity and advancement of the country's easternmost province.
The President inaugurated on Saturday the groundbreaking of the development project, which will stand on 62 hectares of land in Jayapura, Papua, in an event that was part of Jokowi's tour of several locations across Indonesia's eastern region in an effort to improve development in the areas.
The organizing of PON in Papua will mark a new start for the country's sports, particularly in eastern parts of Indonesia, Jokowi said in his speech.
'Papua's land needs to be built, not only physically, but also mentally,' he added. 'Not to mention, it also serves as a place to show the spirit of togetherness between all of us and the Papuan people since a number of venues will also be built in several areas [in Papua].'
Papua will become only the sixth province outside Java to host the quadrennial multisport showcase since its inception in 1948. The other five provinces that have had their turn hosting in the past include North Sumatra (Medan, 1953), South Sulawesi (Makassar, 1957), South Sumatra (Palembang, 2004), East Kalimantan (Samarinda, 2008) and Riau (Pekanbaru, 2012).
The 2016 PON will be staged in Bandung, West Java.
For the games, which are expected to feature as many as 12,600 athletes and officials, the Papua administration has also planned to build venues in Mimika and Merauke regencies.
Around 60 percent of the sports events will be held in Jayapura, along with 30 percent in Mimika regency where a stadium is also being built by PT Freeport Indonesia, while the rest will take place in Merauke.
'This is also a part of building Indonesian connectivity through sports because later I will also visit Manokwari to inaugurate the Papua, Maluku and Sulawesi Cable System which will improve Papua's telecommunications connectivity with other parts of Indonesia,' Jokowi said.
Papua Deputy Governor Klemen Tinal, who attended the ceremony in the absence of Governor Lukas Enembe, said the Papuan people and the country could now gain 'good momentum in accelerating the development of infrastructure, human resources, sports performance and social solidarity'.
'We also believe that the PON in Papua will preserve the unity and integrity of the nation,' he added.
The sports compound will have a stadium capable of accommodating some 42,000 spectators, as well as six tennis courts and arenas for cycling, archery, shooting, baseball, bowling and golf.
Supporting facilities will include an athletes' hotel, café, town house development and a parking lot expected to have capacity for 3,696 cars and 15,000 motorbikes.
However, Jokowi said there was no decision yet on the amount of funds the central government would give to the project, which is estimated to cost a total of 10 trillion.
'It will soon be decided, so that the development of the project can start immediately,' he added.
