After PON, Asian Short Hockey Championship Held In Papua

Illustration - Papuan hockey team at PON XX (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Hockey Federation of Papua Province welcomes the plan to hold the 2022 Asian Hockey Championship which will use an open hockey field in Doyo Baru, Jayapura Regency, Papua, after the XX Papua National Sports Week (PON).

"The central Indonesian Hockey Federation has come and seen the two Papuan hockey buildings and their facilities. They appointed us, especially the outdoor hockey field," said the chairman of the Papuan Hockey Federation, Jan Dance Kbarek in an official statement quoted by Antara, Friday.

The open hockey field at Doyo Baru, continued Kbarek, has international standard facilities and is ready to host the Asian Championships in February 2022.

"The Regent of Jayapura is also ready to make preparations for the international event after the PON," said Kbarek.

Jan Kbarek hopes that the Papuan provincial government can hold a number of sport-tourism activities to introduce the natural beauty of Papua to participants from other regions, including from abroad.

"In addition to sports, there is also tourism with sport tourism packages. That way, the (hockey) building is not redundant after the PON because there are new activities that bring economic (profit) to Papua," he said.

The natural beauty and cultural diversity of Papua, according to Kbarek, was recognized by the coach of the Indonesian Hockey National Team from Malaysia, Muhammad Dhaarma, who was fascinated by the view of Lake Sentani and Mount Cyclop around the open hockey field at Doyo Baru.