goodmorningpapua.com – The National Sports Week (PON) is the biggest sporting event in the country. Especially for this year’s event, Papua will record its history for the first time that PON is held at Land of Cendrawasih. The implementation of PON XX this time actually is felt special. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has made the plan to organize the PON which should have been held in 2020, had to be postponed for the following year.
In the midst of this country struggling to rise up against Covid-19, the presence of PON Papua can be a momentum to boost optimism and confidence to unite the spirit in getting through the pandemic that has lasted two years.
Like an international stage sports, activities such as the 2020 European Cup and 2020 Olympics, the presence of this PON can be a positive campaign in conveying the message that Indonesia will be able to overcome the crisis caused by this pandemic.
Of course, sport is expected to be a catalyst to bring this country through the Covid-19 pandemic which has crippled all aspects of life and the national economy. The success of organizing PON will give a message that this country is very capable of managing its new life by living side by side with Covid-19. Once again, a great effort must be done to ensure that the PON, which is scheduled to take place on 2-15 October, can run smoothly.
Another important thing that can be interpreted from the implementation of the Papua PON is that this activity also provides a political message. Since it was first held in 1948 in Solo, Central Java, the election of Papua as a host of this national-level multi-sport event has become a momentum to realize the popular slogan of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).
As one of the provinces in eastern Indonesia, Papua is still afflicted with issues of disintegration and discrimination.
This is the main meaning of the presence of PON in Papua this time. Indeed, this PON activity carries a message that the Papuan people also still want their integration with the Republic of Indonesia. This is where PON becomes a momentum to unite all stakeholders in Papua to remain united. Officials, traditional leaders and also the community must work hand in hand to make this big event a success. This trust from other regions in Papua has to be answered with the success of the implementation. Once again, this is a good moment for Papua to show that they can work together. Disagreement is of course a natural thing to happen. But more importantly, how to maintain unity among various elements in Papua through the medium of sports.
All Papuan people, no matter how small their role, must be involved in responding to this great trust. Those who can be volunteers for PON, be good volunteers. For those who have not had the opportunity to be directly involved, there is still much that can be done, namely by being a good host for guests who come from various regions in Indonesia. When all these hopes can be realized, it seems that pursuing the next target of making Papua a friendly tourist destination can be achieved in the future. So, let’s unite to make PON of Papua a success. To be able to make it comes true, there needs to be support from all athletes, officials, spectators, and all of us Indonesian people. Let’s unite!