"We expect that new national athletes will be born in the XXI PON National Games that will support main athletes prepared for international competitions," KONI chairperson Marciano Norman said here on Wednesday.
He further said that he expects emerging athletes, particularly those active in Olympic sports, to continue honing their skills to record new achievements from year to year.
"For instance, new athletes in archery -- our mainstay (Olympic) sports -- must be born at PON. Hence, after the 2024 (Summer Olympics), we can continue preparing new (athletes) for 2028 and so on," he added.
By ensuring constant regeneration, more sports can become the national mainstay for Olympic medals, he stressed.
Meanwhile, Norman expressed the hope that younger athletes will have the courage to dream high and will be determined to achieve their goals. Athletes must also make efforts to give their best performance while competing with hard work and continuous training, he added.
"I hope they all will be a patriot in sports, a fighter that can elevate Indonesia's honor and dignity to its worthy place," the KONI chairperson said.
President Joko Widodo has approved the plan for holding the XXI PON from September 8 to 20, 2024, with the opening ceremony in Aceh and the closing ceremony in Medan, North Sumatra, Norman added.
Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali determined that the XXI PON National Games’ organization would stick to its timetable despite taking place in the same year as the General Elections, albeit after the election day, which has been scheduled for February 14, 2024.
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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Z, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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