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The 21st National Sports Week (PON) in Aceh-North Sumatra (Sumut) 2024 was officially opened by President Joko Widodo, Monday (9/9) evening at the Harapan Bangsa Stadium, Banda Aceh. At the opening, Jokowi emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and fair play to athletes in every match.
This was conveyed by President Jokowi who said that this sports week is an event to produce the nation's best athletes, world record breakers, and potential gold medal winners at the Asian Games, SEA Games, and Olympics.
"I really entrust you to uphold sportsmanship and fair play. Let's all celebrate this National Sports Week with a spirit of togetherness, with a spirit of sportsmanship and joy to measure achievements that make the country proud," said President Jokowi.
According to the President, tonight all people are happy and excited to welcome the biggest sports party in the country of Indonesia.
"Tonight I would also like to express my gratitude to the government and all the people of Aceh who hosted the opening of the 21st PON Aceh-North Sumatra tonight," he explained.
The opening of PON coincided with National Sports Day (Haornas). In addition to the President, the Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Dito Ariotedjo and the Chairman of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) Marciano Norman were also seen in the VVIP stands. The rock climbing athlete who won the 2024 Paris Olympics gold medal, Veddriq Leonardo, represented the contestants to read the athletes' pledge.
The series of opening events began at 20.00 WIB, starting with dance performances that highlighted local wisdom while depicting the richness of Acehnese culture. There was also a reading of the holy verses of the Koran and fireworks.
The characteristic athlete parade in the opening of a multi-sports event was also an inseparable part of this event.
Other entertainment events that were also presented were performances by local and national artists such as Virzha, Tiara Andini, and Nabila Taqiyyah. Tiara also sang the Indonesian national anthem before the official opening.
One of the things shown at the opening was a colossal dance performance divided into four visualization segments and involving 873 dancers. The first segment, there is "Maha Raya Tradisi Sejarah" which displays the uniqueness of Aceh's history.
Then, there is "Maha Karya Pesona Budaya" which displays the uniqueness of Aceh's cultural charm. Then, there is "Maha Daya Alam Semesta" which displays the charm of local nature. Finally, there is "Maha Jaya Semangat Malahayati" which displays the typical spirit of Aceh.
Meanwhile, the opening of the prestigious four-yearly multi-sport event PON XXI/2024 Aceh-Sumut was also felt in the North Sumatra region. Thousands of North Sumatra residents in Deli Serdang and its surroundings flocked to enter the Baharoedin Siregar Stadium, Lubuk Pakam, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, Monday (9/9) night.
Around 10 thousand people, both young and old, male and female, as well as people with disabilities also attended since the afternoon to witness the excitement of the opening ceremony which coincided with the 2024 National Sports Day (Haornas) Commemoration.
At the beginning of the event, the community was treated to a performance by the local band Vintage Glasess, followed by a marching band performance by personnel wearing the uniform of the North Sumatra Provincial Civil Service Police Unit, performing several songs.
The LED lights and fireworks on the main stage added to the beauty and excitement of the event. The two opening ceremonies in the two provinces were connected via live streaming on the main stage screen.
Not only in Aceh, the opening ceremony in North Sumatra also featured a parade of the contingents together with the parade of the contingents in Aceh. At the end of the event, there were five torchbearers to be lit in the Cauldron, four of whom were legendary athletes from the Province of North Sumatra (Sumut).
They include Syamsul Anwar, a former boxer and Iwan Karo-karo, a former PSMS Medan player, and Habieb Nasution, a former swimmer. The public is still spoiled with a Doorprize draw with prizes of motorbikes and cars and enlivened by the performance of the J-Rocks Band.
The implementation of the XXI National Sports Week (PON) 2024 Aceh-North Sumatra, will last until September 20. The North Sumatra region will take place in 10 regencies/cities in this province, competing in 34 sports (Cabor) with 46 disciplines and 602 match numbers.
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