Fornas VIII 2025 Reflects NTB's Readiness to Host International-Level Events

JAKARTA – The 8th National Community Sports Festival (Fornas) in 2025 reflects West Nusa Tenggara's (NTB) readiness to host larger events, both nationally and internationally.

West Nusa Tenggara Governor Lalu Muhammad Iqbal stated that Fornas is a starting point for the world to see their region as a friendly, healthy, and creative province, ready to host world-class events.

"Everyone present here can experience firsthand our natural beauty, vibrant culture, and the spirit of mutual cooperation among the people of West Nusa Tenggara," Lalu said in a statement.

Fornas—a biennial recreational sports event organized by the Indonesian Community Sports Committee (Kormi)—is not just a competition, but also a celebration of fitness, culture, and the spirit of togetherness across all levels of society from 38 provinces.

This year's Fornas events are spread across 36 venues in seven regencies/cities and feature more than 20,000 recreational sports enthusiasts from 74 Main Sports Organizations (Inorga).

The Chairman of Kormi, Adil Hakim, stated that Fornas (National Forum for National Sports) is the face of Indonesian community sports, full of enthusiasm, togetherness, and rich in local wisdom.

"I see NTB carrying out its responsibility as host with extraordinary excellence. This is not only a technical success, but also a cultural success and regional promotion," he said.

Fornas clearly demonstrates that community sports can become a new magnet for sports-based tourism, where the strength of local culture and natural beauty create a natural stage that strengthens its appeal.

The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia, Taufik Hidayat, stated that sports tourism and the recreation economy are important parts of the national development strategy.

"This can directly stimulate the regional economy. NTB should be an example because it has successfully combined the community's passion for sports with strengthening regional competitiveness in the tourism, culture, and creative economy sectors," he said.

Fornas VIII 2025 carries the spirit of inclusivity with the theme "Winner, Loser, Everyone Happy." This spirit removes barriers of age, gender, economic background, or professional athletic achievement.

Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, who also attended the opening, praised NTB as a rising star in event-based tourism.

"Fornas is an extraordinary platform. It's not just a sporting event, but also a cultural festival, a creative economy event, and a promotion for tourist villages. I'm confident NTB will continue to be a reference for hosting international-level events in the future," he said.

The revenue generated during the 8th National Community Sports Festival (Fornas) in 2025 is estimated to reach IDR 800 billion. Furthermore, the event also creates over nine thousand temporary jobs.