Papua To Host 20Th National Sports Week In 2020

Jayapura, April 4 (Antara) - The eastern province of Indonesia, Papua, will be the host for the 2020 National Sports Week (PON), an official confirmed on Friday. Chairman of Papua`s National Sport Council (KONI) Klemen Tinal affirmed that the Papua Province has been officially appointed as the host for the 20th PON in 2020 by the Minister of Youth and Sports through a ministerial decree no.0110/2014. "The decree will be our fundamental base to develop sport venues in several Papuan districts," Tinal, who is also a Deputy Governor of Papua Province, remarked. Sports and games will be held in some districts of Papua such as Jayapura, Merauke, Wamena, Timika and Biak. The administration will also cooperate with the neighboring province, West Papua, as the host for diving sport with the famous Raja Ampat as its venue. "As the host, Papua will try its best to get the most medals," Tinal pointed out. Previously on Thursday (April 3), Deputy IV for Achievement and Sport Improvement of the Youth and Sports Ministry Djoko Pekik Irianto stated the Ministry, through the decree, also intended to promote other provinces as hosts for the national sports week, which is held once every four year. "If PON is only hosted in Java Island, the development of sports and its infrastructure (in other provinces) will not flourish," Djoko Pekik asserted. Papua became the best of the three host candidates with 66 votes, defeating Bali and Aceh, each gained 46 votes during the annual meeting of KONI, the national sports committee. According to Government Decree no.17/2007, the National Sports Week should be hosted by one province only, but Djoko explained that the Government planned to revise the regulation that will allow two or three provinces to be hosts for every PON in the future. Before Papua, West Java will host the 19th National Sports Week in 2016.