"We want to make Aceh-North Sumatra PON the biggest multi-sports event felt by all elements of Indonesian society. This will be attended by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President Ma'ruf Amin at the end of their term," KONI chairperson Marciano Norman said here on Wednesday.
Norman held a meeting with Minister of Communication and Informatics, Budi Arie Setiadi, and other Kominfo officials to equalize perceptions about the event and strengthen the commitment to make PON a successful event.
This year, PON will be held for the first time in two provinces, namely Aceh and North Sumatra.
This time, PON will be a highly strategic event since it will become the momentum for bidding farewell to the leadership of Widodo and Amin. In addition, it could become a way to unite the people in the political year.
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According to Norman, compared to the previous PONs, the Aceh-North Sumatra PON will be the largest because it will draw the most number of contingents, namely from 39 provinces, including IKN Nusantara (defile status).
The Aceh PON will feature 33 sports and involve 6,287 athletes and 3,158 officials.
Meanwhile, the North Sumatra PON will feature 34 sports and involve 6,618 athletes and 3,320 officials.
In all, there will be 1,042 competitions, which will be held in 10 districts/cities in Aceh and North Sumatra.
During the meeting, Norman asked for Kominfo's support regarding fulfilling the need for telecommunication networks.
Responding to the request, Minister Setiadi assigned ministry staff to help prepare the network and media center.
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Translator: Aloysius, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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