Tennis Championship Table 2025 Becomes An Inclusive Event That Unites Sports Spirit

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta National Paralympic Committee (NPCI) together with the National Pelita Inclusion Foundation (YIPB), held the DKI Jakarta NPCI Table Tennis Championship 2025 in commemoration of the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia.

The tournament, which was held at Atrium Utama, Pluit Village Mall, North Jakarta, is not just a competition, but is a real symbol of unbounded sport, which brings together athletes with disabilities and non-disabled on an equal and competitive stage.

The Chief Executive of the DKI Jakarta NPCI Table Tennis Championship 2025 Cahaya Manthovani said this championship is one way to introduce the ability of athletes with disabilities as well as look for new seeds for athletes to be able to compete both at Paraseagames 2026 and Paralympic 2028.

We also want to show that disability is not a barrier to achievement. Instead, they have great enthusiasm and potential that can inspire all of us," said Cahaya.

Light also hopes that through this activity, participants, both disabled and non-disabled, can learn each other, support each other, and grow together to test their boundaries through the spirit of sports

The 2025 DKI Jakarta NPCI Tennis Championship was attended by 335 consisting of 128 athletes with disabilities from 13 provinces and more than 200 general participants. The participants will compete for a total prize of Rp180 million to make it one of the largest inclusive table tennis championships in the country.

In addition, the province with the highest number of medal-winning athletes will compete for two main trophies, namely the DKI Jakarta NPCI Cup for the general category and disability category.

Chef de Mission Paralympics, Reda Manthovani, explained that this activity is part of preparations to monitor the performance of athletes who will compete in Paraseagames January 2026. They play here to test their abilities and warm up, so they can find out their level before competing," he said.

He added that the athlete's preparation had been carried out at Pelatnas Karanganyar, Solo. However, success is not only determined by technical aspects, but also requires support from various parties.

"Technical preparation will be useless without the support of all sports stakeholders. As a CDM, my job is to demonstrate full support so that the target of the overall champion in Paraseagames can be achieved," said the man who also serves as Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence (Jamintel).

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the DKI Jakarta NPCI Yasin Onase explained that this tournament was the first to combine athletes with disabilities and non-disabilities in one championship event.

"We want to provide understanding to the public that athletes with disabilities have equal abilities and confidence to compete with non-disabled athletes, in the spirit of sportsmanship and unity," he said.

However, the match still follows the applicable classification, such as distinguishing between athletes with disabilities and the general public, and for athletes with disabilities it is distinguished based on the category, namely wheelchairs, amputation, or standing.

Yasin acknowledged that with the support from the Pelita Bangsa Inclusion Foundation and the Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence (Jamintel) Reda Manthovanani, the implementation of table tennis this time received great attention, including the selection of locations in malls or public spaces.

Chairman of the YIPB Board of Trustees Maya Miranda Ambarsari said that organizing tournaments in public spaces is an effective way to remove the boundaries between athletes with disabilities and the general public.

"We want to show that sports are not only a matter of competition, but also a space to understand each other, respect and support each other," he said.

The election of Pluit Village Mall as the location of the tournament is also part of an inclusive mission so that people can immediately witness the spirit of the athletes' struggle, as well as get involved in celebrating independence in an inspiring and constructive way.

In addition, the presence of a number of Ministers of the Red and White Cabinet such as Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Nusron Wahid and Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and community leaders such as Raffi Ahmad, Denny Sumargo, to Jusuf Hamka not only provided symbolic support, but also a tangible form of concern for the inclusion movement.

"With the presence of public figures, we hope that this inclusive message can reach more parties, so that this movement can continue," said Maya.