独占、マルシアーノ・ノーマンPON XXパプアの誇りだけではありません

The XX 2021 Papua National Sports Week (PON) has a strategic meaning. Therefore, said the General Chairman of the Central KONI, Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Marciano Norman, this event must be well organized. The situation is now getting more and more attention because it is still in the atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic, which does not know when it will end. But this is actually a challenge in itself for this four-year event. How are the preparations and the situation so far. To the VOI team Marciano shared the news.

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Actually, the XX PON is scheduled for 2020, but that year the COVID-19 pandemic just hit Indonesia. Various sports, arts and cultural activities that are gathering time have been postponed due to health and mental safety considerations. However, President Jokowi later emphasized that the postponed PON XX could be held in 2021.

Until now, the preparation of the PON Grand Committee for this event is still going according to plan. The venue for the event is 90 percent completed. “In general, the physical construction is 90% complete. God willing, everything will be finished in time, "explained Marciano Norman.

Regarding obstacles, he continued, there must be, especially at this time the COVID-19 pandemic is still the biggest challenge. However, to anticipate things that are not desired, all athletes, coaches, officials must be vaccinated before they leave for Papua. Likewise with the committee and the community around where the event takes place, vaccination is the main requirement.

This four-year event must be carried out well even though it is still in a pandemic condition. “The success of this PON event is said to be the pride of the Papuan people. But if I say that the success of PON XX is not only the pride of the Papuans, but also the pride of the Indonesian people. That the Indonesian government can carry out activities like this anywhere in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia with the same quality," he stressed to Iqbal Irsyad, Edy Suherli, Savic Rabos, and Irfan Meidianto from VOI who met him at the Central KONI Office, Gelora Bung Karno Complex, Central Jakarta. , recently. Here is the full interview excerpt.

How far is the preparation for PON XX Papua 2021, starting from facilities, accommodation, and transportation of athletes that will be carried out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?

We from the Central KONI and the XX PON Grand Committee continue to work together to prepare what will be held in four clusters; Jayapura City, Jayapura Regency, Mimika Regency and Merauke Regency. In general, the physical construction is 90% complete. God willing, everything will be finished in time. KONI and PB PON have held several meetings attended by delegates from 34 provinces who will participate in this PON. The most important thing to note is the participant's accommodation, because Papua is not the same as the area in West Java, for example, which has many five-star hotels. So what we have done is that we help prepare the facilities owned by the TNI and Polri to be converted into the equivalent of a 3-star hotel or a 3-star class so that it can be used as a place to stay for participants and other contingents, there is air conditioning, bathrooms, and other facilities.

I am optimistic that PON XX 2021, which will be held from October 2 to October 15, can be carried out well.

Because it is still in the COVID-19 pandemic, all athletes from regions who will go to Papua are required to have been vaccinated. People who live in the vicinity of the PON event, on the orders of the President, must also be vaccinated. All involved must implement health protocols. We do not want PON Papua later to cause new problems.

And during this COVID-19 pandemic, we must adhere to strict health protocols. This PON has a big meaning because this event also motivates the Indonesian people. We must be healthy, we must comply with health protocols. But holding this event we must be safe.

There are many obstacles faced by the XX PON committee, what about funding?

PON already has a budget. The first comes from the APBD and the second comes from the APBN. The construction of the venue is part of the APBD. Part of the APBN is carried out by the Ministry of PUPR in its implementation. But for the implementation of the budget in the operation of the National Sports Week, everything has been well prepared. In this sense, all of the budget planning that has been made, that at the time of implementation it turns out that there is a budget shortfall that must be supported by the center, it has been requested by the PON big committee.

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe was involved as Chairman of the PON Grand Committee. So that he is also in this case responsible for any funds used for the preparation and implementation of PON. If the available funds are not sufficient, the Chairperson of the PB PON can apply to the central government.

The President in his limited meeting also agreed that the budget notes they submitted had been reviewed by KONI and by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. So that later, once the review is complete, the additional budget at his direction through the Minister of Finance will also be disbursed. However, under these conditions, we must understand that the government can't be too long.

Do you believe that the Papuan people will be good hosts?

With the full support of the TNI and Polri, I am sure that the Papuan people will also be good hosts and a series of activities for the National Sports Week. I hope this PON will be successful and should be better than the previous PONs. Because of what? Because here, everyone's eyes see that is it true that Papua is safe and is it true that Indonesia can overcome the problem of COVID-19? We don't want to be called a nation that is unable to manage exposure to COVID-19. Our government is working hard for that as well as the TNI / Polri and local governments.

Some say that this PON event is the pride of the Papuan people. If I say that the success of PON XX is not only the pride of the Papuan people, but also the pride of the Indonesian people because the Indonesian government can carry out activities like this anywhere with the same quality.

What about the KKB (armed criminal group), how to anticipate it?

We have to see if the KKB exists, there's already evidence, right? It also appeared in the media and there were victims from the TNI and KKB sides. What needs to be noted is that the location of the KKB is far from the place where the PON will be implemented. I have also communicated with the Commander of the Cenderawasih Military Command, I also spoke with the Papuan Police Chief. They provide full support for this XX PON. They said it was safe, Mr. God willing, we will do our best to protect this. We also see that the TNI Commander and the National Police Chief also visited Papua to ensure that this situation is truly safe. Why are we also responsible for the contingent that comes to Papua? They are healthy when they come and safe during their activities and safe to return to their respective provinces.

PON in Papua must also give a very special impression. So far, sometimes in the media it is always shown that Papua is not safe, that Papua has many things that need international attention. We show together that we can bring all the contingents from 33 other provinces.

What about the COVID-19 pandemic?

It's a big obstacle, but we also have to do our best to get up. Why am I also the one who shouted at the beginning of COVID-19. Some time after we try to overcome it all sports activities are stopped. Stopping sports has a huge impact not only on the athletes but also on their coaches and the sports industry within them. All were affected because there were no sporting events.

But despite the pandemic, the Euro Cup is still being held. Only 25 percent of the audience attended the stadium. It gets us excited. Other events are also starting to run like the English Premier League, Spanish League, Italian League, French, German with the Bundesliga all running. Indeed, there were one or two players who were exposed to COVID-19 but were isolated enough, but the tournament continued. We also succeeded in carrying out the Menpora Cup football tournament.

One series of IBL has been completed, the Equestrian League has never stopped in 2020 and has been able to finish 6 series well. So let's unite opinions to find a solution, don't make the decision you can't. But the decision is how we can also carry out activities but we are also safe.

For the audience at the PON later, will there be any or not?

Later it will be announced whether or not the audience can watch the match at PON this time. However, viewers can watch this event through streaming and live broadcasts. We also asked the big televisions to broadcast it. The event is like the EURO agenda this time is eagerly awaited. We continue to motivate people to rise up. Yesterday I just received the Mayor of Jayapura, he said that in our area only one criticism is in the red zone, the other is the green zone. I said please prioritize for that one. Only 3 people in the Merauke green zone are exposed to one district. This is amazing. Don't be fooled by the news that shows that this is the government's inability to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

How do you see the phenomenon of competing athletes ahead of the PON?

It's not a secret, yes, there are provinces with large financial readiness that are usually very tempting for athletes who live in provinces whose financial readiness is very weak. It can't be denied but facing this National Sports Week, we have a rule that the transfer of athletes to the National Sports Week is permitted within 2 years in advance. It is possible that someone might try to violate it, but we do have a mechanism that can determine if the mutation is true or not. The victim will usually scream. All of this is ultimately a bonus. Because PON is also a hope for athletes, the bonuses they get are usually large.

How do you optimize the role of media for sports?

For me the media is part of the intelligence sport that can provide the information we need. Because of what, they have a wider network. Journalists can motivate athletes and support athletes. For example, Lalu Muhammad Zohri, we hope that in the Olympics he will be able to run 100 meters with very good results. So good media will follow and motivate him.

Regarding the sports that are of concern and lack of attention, how do you explain it?

Achievement sports must be prioritized for sports (sports) participating in the Olympics. Sports must be the main concern, because that is where we are talking about Indonesia in the history of the Olympics. Our first Olympic medal was won from archery in 1988. At that time in Korea 3 our Heroes, Nurfitriana, Lilis Handayani and Kusumawadhani won a silver medal. It was Indonesia's first medal in the Olympics. At that time with one silver, Indonesia was ranked 35. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma each contributed a gold medal for Indonesia. Our ranking rose to 24. But after that, Indonesia only won 1 gold.

In addition to badminton, the next hope besides archery is weightlifting and rock climbing, whose athletes have recently broken world records. Well, God willing, also later who knows in Japan he can also break the record again.

Since childhood, Lieutenant General TNI (Ret.) Marciano Norman has been active in sports. The habit of exercising is ingrained from children until now. For this man who was born in Banjarmasin, October 28, 1954, there is no term to stop exercising, whenever and wherever he is.

However, now that he is no longer young, the portion of exercise must also be adjusted according to age. "There's no such thing as stopping exercising, but for people my age it's definitely different from those who are 20 years old," he said jokingly.

From a young age Marciano was familiar with equestrian sports. “I happen to be a person who loves equestrian sports, since I was a child, I have also been riding horses. I used to be a jockey. My wife has also been involved in horse riding since she was little. So it's not surprising that he can lead Pordasi (The All-Indonesian Equestrian Sports Association). Until now, I still ride horses every now and then,” said this husband from Triwatty about his hobby of riding.

Apart from pursuing equestrian sport, Marciano is also pursuing taekwondo. "When I was at school in England, I shared a room with a taekwondo world champion from South Korea," he said of his friend.

However, due to mandatory military service regulations, the friend did not dare to return to Korea. “After graduating from school I returned to Indonesia, while he even moved to Brunei. In that country he defended the Brunei taekwondo team and participated in the junior world championship. Now I am not intensely communicating with him anymore. As far as I know he opened a taekwondo college in a country in Latin America. And he lived decently there without leaving taekwondo," he said.

Apart from taekwondo, Marciano also studied judo. “I used to live at the judo coach's house. His name lives at the judo coach's house, every day before bed I get slammed. But don't worry, I also learned a lot from there. How to fall that does not cause serious injury on the mat. If people don't know how to do it, they can be beaten up," he said, reminiscing about his time at the judo coach's house.

He advised all young people to learn martial arts. “Martial science is very important, like silat, karate, taekwondo, judo, and so on. At least self-defense is for self-interest. His name is also self-defense, yes. But if you have the passion to make the sport of martial arts a means of achieving achievement, go ahead. That's good too," he continued.

Marciano believes, people who love sports have a high sportsman spirit. "One time he may lose to his opponent. But he will ask for time to clean up and train hard. With the hope that next month or the next two months he can avenge his defeat. Okay, today I lost, next month I have to be the winner," he said.

But to win games, Marciano said, you have to have tactics, strategies and train hard. “That kind of character and spirit that exists in the world of sport can be adopted for life. Winning the match is not impossible. Anyone can be a winner as long as he is ready," he said. “The spirit to be the winner and number one is what we must adopt from a country like Korea. They have almost no natural resources, but with discipline and strong passion they can become winners by mastering technology,” he continued.

The spirit of exercise must be instilled in the family from an early age. “Sport must start from the family. Ladies and gentlemen, if the children go out on Sundays and exercise together, it is part of growing a love for sports because with sports from the family, we will become stronger people in the community. Believe me, the benefits of exercising are extraordinary,” he said, adding that sport can also be a unifying nation.

Pandemic

In this time of the corona pandemic, immunity and body fitness are very important. That's why the former Pangdam Jaya revealed that he still regularly walks and swims to this day.

Immunity apart from food intake, can also be obtained from regular exercise. "The issue of fitness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, must be a concern. However, all sports activities must be carried out according to health protocols," he stressed, adding that large crowds and gatherings must be limited at this time.

In addition, food intake should also be an important concern. “Food intake is no less important nowadays. But we must not overdo it. Consumption of adequate food and in accordance with the needs of the body. If I add to it by consuming traditional herbs sourced from spices and medicinal plants such as red ginger, turmeric and others, it is very useful. This will increase our self-confidence because our bodies are healthy,” said Marciano who still dared to eat goat soup and durian.

What is important, continued Marciano, is to prevent and anticipate. He was surprised that until now there are still people who do not believe that COVID-19 exists and has claimed many lives. "Dealing with COVID-19 cannot be done in the usual way. Health protocols must be strictly enforced. Keep your distance, wear a mask and wash your hands frequently with soap. Things like this are often taken for granted and ignored. Just be consistent with Prokes (health protocol) even though it was a bit difficult at first. If it becomes a habit, you will get used to it," he said.

So, continued Marciano, you shouldn't be afraid to face this. “Stay alert, and be careful. The threat of COVID-19 is very real and has a huge impact. If we want to take good care of this matter, God willing, we will be safe," he continued.

"People say that the success of this PON event is the pride of the Papuan people. If I say that the success of PON XX is not only the pride of the Papuan people, but also the pride of the Indonesian people. That the Indonesian government can carry out activities like this anywhere in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia with the same quality,” said Marciano Norman.