KSurfer athlete Ryuki Waida has said he is determined to win the surfing exhibition at Papua’s National Games PON XX, which will take place from September 22 to 23, 2021.

“My target is that I win in this event,” Waida told ANTARA via text message from Jayapura city, Papua on Wednesday.

This is the first time that a surfing exhibition is taking place as part of the National Games. According to Waida, it is a good move considering that surfing has been contested in the Olympics and SEA Games.

“And as we know, a new sports branch can be officially competed in PON if it has been exhibited previously in PON,” he said.

He said he and his colleagues will  work hard to give the best performance in the Papua PON.   The exhibition will make surfing an official sport discipline later at the Aceh PON in 2024, he added.

Furthermore, he said that as the younger brother of surfing athlete Rio Waida, he felt joining the PON was important for the development of the sport in each province.

He said the inclusion of the sports branch in PON would help surfing get the attention of the provincial National Sports Committees (KONI).

“Hopefully, the development of surfing in every province that has waves will grow rapidly,” the 19-year-old surfer said.

The Papua PON XX surfing exhibition was supposed to take place at Hamadi Beach, Jayapura city on Wednesday and Thursday. However, the match location has now been shifted to Skouw Beach, which is located 21 km from the city center.

“(Skouw Beach) is our second option, because the waves at Hamadi are very small,” secretary general of the Indonesian Surfing Association Management (PB PSOI), Tipi Jabrik, said.

The surfing exhibition at Papua PON XX will be competed in two disciplines— shortboard or men’s shortboard and aerial surf.

A total of 33 surfer athletes—18 in the men’s shortboard and 15 in the aerial category— will participate in the event.

Source: Antara News