West Java Reaps Benefits of Good Coaching at Papua PON

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

West Java players celebrate winning a gold medal after winning the 2021 Papua PON women's volleyball final against Central Java at Koya Koso Sports Center, Jayapura City, Papua, Tuesday (12/10/2021).

West Java has successfully defended its title as overall champion at the 2021 National Games (PON) in Papua. A strong commitment to sustainable athlete development was the recipe for the province’s success.

JAYAPURA, KOMPAS — West Java has successfully defended its title as overall champion at the 2021 National Games (PON) in Papua. The province’s achievement, a repeat of the 2016 games, has been attributed to its tiered and sustainable development programs for the local athletes.

West Java finished the Papua PON on Thursday (14/10/2021) with 133 gold medals, 105 silvers and 115 bronzes. The province outperformed Jakarta, which came in second place with 110 golds, 91 silvers and 100 bronzes. East Java was in the third with 110 golds, 89 silvers and 88 bronzes.

Also read:

> Evaluation of Pre-PON Papua Security

> Millennial Teacher in Papuan Interior

> The Teacher in Uniform

In addition to mobilizing a number of national athletes with a lot of experience in national and international championships, the West Java branch of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) organized provincial sporting events such as the 2018 Regional Sports Week (Porda) to select athletes to participate in the Papua PON.

After gathering local athletes from 37 sports, West Java began an intensive training program at the beginning of 2019. They continued to train regularly in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic which had disrupted the preparations of the contingents of many other provinces.

This commitment was inseparable from the ambition of the province to defend the overall champion title they earned during the 2016 PON, which was held in West Java in 2016 and where they collected 217 golds. The West Java KONI then implemented a tiered coaching program that combined young and senior athletes, especially in the mainstay branches of “gold mining” such as rowing, pencak silat (martial arts) and athletics.

“We are grateful to be able to defend the overall champion status. This achievement is the result of our coaching. This is a good start for the continuation of the coaching program for the upcoming PON," the chairman of the West Java KONI, Ahmad Saefudin, said in Jayapura, Papua.

Children with sporting talent are sent to the Student Sports Education and Training Center (PPLP) to hone their abilities.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said that retaining the overall champion status at the Papua PON was the "fruit" of the good coaching system, which trained athletes from an early age, and the holding of tiered championships. Children with sporting talent are sent to the Student Sports Education and Training Center (PPLP) to hone their abilities.

KOMPAS/ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH

West Java female runner Tyas Murtiningsih (far left) in action in the second heat of the women's 100-meter preliminaries at the Athletics Stadium of PT Freeport Indonesia's Mimika Sports Complex, Timika City, Mimika Regency, Wednesday (6/10/2021). Tyas managed to finish first with a time of 11.67 seconds and broke Irene Truitje Joseph's PON record with 11.73 seconds in the 2000 East Java PON.

Windy Cantika, a lifter who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, for example, is one of the young athletes who were trained at the West Java PPLP. She won a gold medal in the Papua PON despite being injured while competing in the women's 49 kilogram lifting event.

“West Java has a training center (PPLP ) to train athletes from 13 sports branches. Regency and municipal governments also have their own PPLPs in their respective regions. The achievement of becoming the overall champion for two consecutive PON games (in 2016 and 2021) came after a 70-year wait for West Java, which became the PON’s overall champion twice in a row for the first time in 1951 and 1953,” said Ridwan.

Adequate infrastructure

In addition to good coaching, West Java is also supported by adequate sporting facilities and infrastructure. This was noted by the coach of the national rowing training center, M. Hadris. The majority of the province’s rowing gold medalists were athletes who took part in the national training center. It was no wonder that the majority of the athletes at the national training center came from West Java.

West Java also bagged 20 golds from the 40 rowing events at the Papua PON.

In the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, the West Java rowing team was still able practice because it had its own training center in Pangalengan, West Java. West Java also bagged 20 golds from the 40 rowing events at the Papua PON.

“In addition to preparation, West Java also owns an Olympic-standard boat. Unlike other regions, which still use the lowest grade of boats," Hadris said.

Also read:

> PON Reinvigorates Papuan Economy

> Papua is Far and Very Costly

Eva Nurafifah Latief, assistant manager of the West Java athletic team, emphasized the importance of the sustainable athlete development program. West Java athletic athletes, both senior and junior, were able to perform well because of the continuation of their training programs after the 2016 PON. One of the results was that they won a gold in the women's 4x100 meter relay and broke a new record in Papua.

"Right now, maybe, is the golden age of West Java athletics. Young athletes are highly motivated to be the best, while senior athletes can still maintain their best achievements in their respective numbers,” said Eva.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

The East Java tennis team won two gold medals in the men's and women's team numbers at the PON Papua 2021 at the Sien Soor Field, Jayapura, Sunday (3/10/2021).

West Java is now aiming for the overall championship title in the upcoming PON, which is to be held in Aceh and North Sumatra in 2024. The West Java provincial government is currently preparing a regional sports development master plan involving regency and municipal governments. "Young athletes are expected to be able to show maximum results in the 2024 PON and make West Java win a hat-trick as overall champion," said Ridwan said. (SAN/TAM/FLO/DRI/KEL)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).