TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
20th PON still slated for next year in Papua: Governor Lukas
The governor said he was committed to ensuring that the national sporting event took place in the province next year.
Change Size
Papua Governor Lukas Enembe. (Kompas.com/Indra Akuntono)
Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has confirmed that the 20th National Games (PON) will be held in the province in 2020 as scheduled.
Lukas said he had committed to ensuring that the national sporting event would take place next year during a recent meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
“The President still wants [PON] to be held in 2020. I told him our preparations, including venues, were about 50 percent complete. He wants the event to take place in three regions: the city of Jayapura, Jayapura regency and Timika,” he announced.
He went on to say that the government had also agreed to reduce the number of sports in the event to 37 from the original 47.
“We initially wanted to postpone [the event], but after cutting back on things like the number of sports and venues, we believe we can hold the event in 2020. There will be further meetings with the President,” Lukas said.
He explained that he was counting on Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) chief Erick Thohir for all things related to equipment for the event.
“Erick recommended that we purchase new equipment for the event. [The Papua administration] has allocated Rp 400 billion [US$28.1 million] of our budget for event equipment, while the Youth and Sports Ministry has reserved Rp 191 billion,” Lukas said, adding that Erick would be in charge of planning the event’s opening and closing ceremonies. (rfa)
