The 2021 Papua National Sports Week (PON) opening ceremony at the Lukas Enembe Stadium on Saturday night will showcase the natural beauty of Papua, secretary general of the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI), Ade Lukman, has said.

The theme will be conveyed in the dance performance by hundreds of local dancers at the opening event, he added.

“The theme is more focused on showcasing the beauty of the flora, fauna, and culture of Papua,” he told ANTARA on Tuesday.

In addition to the dance performance, the opening ceremony will also be enlivened by art performances, such as music concerts by Papuan musicians, he informed.

All “creative” segments at the opening ceremony will involve local residents of Papua, he said and emphasized that there will be no celebrity from the capital performing at the ceremony.

The opening ceremony will be held in accordance with the standard procedures of multi-sports events and will feature events such as the contingent march, the reading of the athletes’ oath, and cauldron lighting, he said. However, the Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali had earlier said that the march will not be as lively as usual due to restrictions on participation, which have been implemented to minimize COVID-19 transmission.

Regarding spectators, the government has capped physical attendance at a maximum of 25 percent of the total stadium capacity of 40 thousand people, he informed. The number includes athletes, officials, and other support personnel, he said.

PON opening spectators must also have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, that is, they must have received the second dose of vaccination, he added.

Lukman also confirmed that President Joko Widodo will open the 2021 Papua PON at the Lukas Enembe Stadium. According to him, the organizing committee, the TNI, police, and related parties are making efforts to ensure that the opening ceremony runs safely and smoothly. (

Source: Antara News