It Turns Out That This Is The Reason Yulius Uwe Wants To Be The Fire Bearer Of The Papua National Sports Week

Yulius Uwe (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Three SEA Games gold medalists for Indonesia, Yulius Uwe, said that one of the reasons he agreed to be part of the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON) fire carrier in the Mimika cluster was the number 28.

"Look, this carnival was held on September 28. Then, my decathlon record has not been broken for 28 years and I was born on January 28. This means that this is indeed the right moment," Yulius said to Antara in Mimika, Tuesday.

Initially, before realizing that, the man who was born in Kokonau, Mimika, was still considering National Sports Week Grand Committee (PB PON)'s request to become the torchbearer of XX Papua PON in Mimika.

Yulius admitted that he had thought that the torch was carried by athletes who were younger and had flashy achievements.

This is because he has been a torchbearer as well as a fire starter to the XIV SEA Games cauldron in Jakarta in 1987. Not only that, Yulius was the flag bearer of the Indonesian contingent at the 1986 Asian Games.

However, his considerations changed when he realized the equation in number 28 because according to Yulius it was a good sign.

It is also hoped that the moments at number 28 will also motivate the athletes who compete.

"So, this is the first PON in Papua and I am holding the torch. I feel that this PON in the future will run more successfully. This date outlines and, according to friends, it also strengthens," said Yulius.

Yulius Uwe was one of four sportsmen who shared the XX Papua PON Api with Maria Londa (athletics), Santia Tri Kusuma (bicycle racing), and Muhammad Bima Abdi Negara (table tennis) in Mimika, Tuesday (28/9).

Yulius was a gold medalist in the men's decathlon at the 1985, 1987, and 1993 SEA Games. At the 1986 Asian Games, the man who was present in the world on January 28, 1965, was in fourth place.

Yulius Uwe's record of decathlon points at the Singapore SEA Games in 1993, which is 7.013 points, is still a national record to this day or it has not been broken for 28 years.

On every occasion of his SEA Games, Yulius Uwe always broke the decathlon record for the Southeast Asian Games until finally, athletes from neighboring countries took over. Now, the SEA Games decathlon record is held by Vietnamese athlete Vu Vat Huyen with 7.558 points.

The decathlon itself is an athletic sport that competes in 10 numbers at once, namely the 100-meter run, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1.500-meter run.