Former Swimming Athlete Shelly Selowati The Value Of XX Papua PON Is Not Just Infrastructure, But A Positive Trend Of Sport

Shelly Selowati, former swimmer/ Photo: Antara

JAKARTA – The implementation of the XX PON National Sports Week in Papua has a positive impact on the development and development of the Eastern Indonesia region. This was conveyed by former swimming athlete Shelly Selowati while talking at the Media Center Jakarta, Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) Senayan.

"Personally, I like it because the eastern region has never been the host, especially for a very large sporting event like PON," said Shelly, Saturday, October 2.

Shelly said that the first national level sports competition was held in eastern Indonesia so that it has the potential to develop sports, human resources, and management.

Even the winner of eight gold medals in swimming at PON 1979 and 1981, said that PON XX Papua will improve sports facilities and infrastructure to support sports progress.

Therefore, Shelly assesses that the development of sports in Indonesia will be more evenly distributed, and not only progress in one area.

"Because usually, after becoming the host, not only infrastructure, but also the potential for new sports branches also develops," said Shelly.

Shelly also hopes that the athletes will use the PON event as a preparation to go to a multi agenda with a higher scale or international level so that it follows the Olympic cycle.

According to him, with PON, national athletes can prepare in stages to go to the highest event, one of which is the Olympics.