"There were no spectators in Tokyo, but here, in Papua, it is very crowded with spectators. However, the health protocols are followed well," Akmal noted at the Cendrawasih University (Uncen) Auditorium in Jayapura on Friday.
The fifth strongest athlete in the +85kg class at the Tokyo Olympics noted that the PON committee was strict in implementing health protocols.
"I was only allowed to go to the venue and my hotel. I cannot go out to other places," she stated.
According to Akmal, Papuans exhibited high levels of enthusiasm in watching the Papua PON's matches despite the visitor capacity being limited to 25 percent. Some fans also spotted her in the VIP seats of the Uncen Auditorium and approached for taking pictures together.
Hence, Akmal always followed health protocols: wearing mask, maintaining distance, and washing hands.
"I always take care of myself by following the health protocols," she affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Eko Yuli Irawan stated that the health protocols were stricter at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as it took place in the midst of the peak of the pandemic that was impacting various countries and also Indonesia.
"The Olympics had stricter regulations than here due to the COVID-19 second wave. However, the health protocols followed here are relatively good," Irawan informed.
Irawan noted that various related parties in the venue, lodging, and airport areas made the requisite efforts to protect PON contingents from the threat of COVID-19 in Papua.
During the Olympics, strict rules were put in place by limiting the mobility of contingents, including rapid COVID-19 tests conducted every day. No participants, organizers, or volunteers are allowed to travel outside the Olympics area, he explained.
Another mandatory rule is wearing a mask to prevent transmission through droplets. Masks are allowed to be removed outdoors and in hot conditions. In addition, permission to open a mask is also valid while eating and drinking, but within a distance of approximately two meters from one another, he later noted.
The Olympic committee also requires all participants to wash their hands with soap as often as possible. This is especially important during breaks, before and after eating, after removing masks, after removing gloves, and after interacting with each other.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
