Papuan PON athletes are still allowed to participate in the 2021 SEA Games

Based on the decision of the 2020 KONI National Working Meeting (Rakernas) which was held last Thursday, athletes who will compete in PON Papua will still be allowed to appear at the Vietnam 2021 SEA Games.

"Athletes are recommended to participate in the PON and the SEA Games. Next year there are two events, "said Deputy Chairman of the Central KONI Suwarno.

This decision is the answer for the national athletes who have been waiting for certainty whether they are allowed to compete in the two multievent. The reason is, a number of parent sports organizations had planned to prohibit national training athletes from appearing at PON Papua to focus on the 2021 SEA Games.

The discourse arose because the PON Papua event which had been postponed was considered too tight. The quadrennial national sports party will roll out a month in advance of the Vietnam SEA Games which will take place in November 2021.

Not only that, the ban is also intended so that national athletes can achieve maximum performance in the SEA Games which is an international event. Moreover, the national plate budget also comes from the central government.

In the end, based on the decision of the 2020 KONI Rakernas, athletes are allowed to take part in PON and SEA Games. However, regional KONIs are asked to carry out regional training camps (Platda) properly in order to assist the National Training Center activities prepared for the SEA Games.

"For the implementation of the National and Regional Plates, the regional KONIs that can carry out the regional plates well can help the national plates in the form of decentralization," said Suwarno.