Host of NTB and NTT PON 2028, Menpora reaffirms commitment with APBD contribution

Medan, Long Live – West Tenggara Province (NTB) together with Nusantara East Tenggara (NTT) will host the 22nd National Sports Week (PON) 2028. Preparation has been made since infancy by developing budgets in each of these areas.

Indonesian Youth and Sports Minister (Menpora) Dito Ariotedjo told reporters in Medan City, Friday, September 20, 2024: “So far, as the host of PON, the region wants to present a budget and also prepare locally.”

Dito revealed that his party held a coordination meeting with the central KONI, representatives of the NTB and NTT (Pemprov) provincial governments and related stakeholders.

Dito said that if you are not serious about preparing everything, do it optimally. Otherwise, the central government takes over by promulgating a policy or evaluation related to the host.

“If we cannot secure a commitment from the APBD to contribute to preparing the PON, I have even suggested that the central government withdraw its preparations from the beginning,” Dito said.

Dito said that before the Indonesian government issues a decision letter to determine the venue for the next PON in 2028, it must prepare in advance with budget planning.

“Before making the ministerial decision to host NTB and NTT, I will explain how we can calculate the APBD in both NTB and NTT starting from the ABPD 2025-2028, the regional fiscal, as well as the ability to contribute to the preparation of a comprehensive study by the regional budget,” Dito said.

In addition to preparing the budget, Dito said, NTB and NTT must also prepare the potential of trained athletes to compete in PON 2028 so that the hosts themselves can win medals.

“I also say that we need to re-examine the sustainability potential of the sports being built in both NTB and NTT. Let us not let them be built after the PON is not used or there is no market. The potential is what we do not want,” Dito said.

As such, Dito said his party has proposed a concept on how to promote PON by making priority sports mandatory in these two areas. However, this will not place a burden on the owner in the future.

“So before the decision is made, there will be an additional mechanism that we will put in place. Only then will the central government’s involvement be roughly where it will be and how much. So far, the PON has had to ensure the commitment of the regions first – I proposed it before – or we will try to withdraw it from the central government,” Dito said.

The closing ceremony of PON XXI 2024, North Sumatra Aceh was held at the Main Stadium of North Sumatra Sports Center, Sena Village, Batang Kuis District, Deliserdang on Friday evening, September 20, 2024.

There, KONI President General Marciano Norman handed over the PON flag to NTB Acting Governor Hasanudin and NTT Acting Governor Andrico Noto Sutanto. The PON flag was symbolically handed over to two provinces as hosts of the upcoming PON.