Saturday, 01 August 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The National Sports Committee of Indonesia (Komite Olahraga Nasional Indonesia/KONI) of North Sumatra (Sumut) is accelerating athlete preparations through the Intensive Development Program (Program Pembinaan Intensif/PPI) ahead of the 2026 North Sumatra Provincial Sports Week (Pekan Olahraga Provinsi Sumatera Utara/Porprovsu). The program is a strategic initiative by KONI Sumut to maintain consistency in regional sporting achievements while strengthening athletes' readiness for the XXII National Sports Week (Pekan Olahraga Nasional/PON) in 2028.
Chairman of KONI North Sumatra, Colonel (Ret.) Hatunggal Siregar, stated that Porprovsu 2026, which is scheduled to take place in November, will become one of the biggest sporting events during the current term of the KONI Sumut leadership. Therefore, the organization aims to ensure that the achievements of North Sumatra athletes remain at a level close to the results achieved during the XXI PON Aceh-North Sumatra 2024.
"Currently, we are preparing for the North Sumatra Provincial Sports Week. This is the largest event during our entire term at KONI Sumut. The performance targets for our athletes will certainly not be far from the achievements we reached during the implementation of the XXI PON," Hatunggal said during a press conference held by the North Sumatra Communication and Information Agency (Dinas Kominfo) at the lobby of the Dekranasda Building, North Sumatra Governor's Office, on Friday, July 31, 2026.
KONI Sumut has implemented the PPI program since June 2026. The initiative reflects its commitment to ensuring sustainable development of regional athlete performance. The program supports sports that contributed gold, silver, or bronze medals during the XXI PON Aceh-North Sumatra 2024 and are once again included in the competition list for the XXII PON.
During its first phase, the PPI program covers 131 athletes from 18 individual sports. KONI Sumut is implementing the development program at an early stage to ensure talented athletes continue representing the province while receiving optimal preparation for upcoming national sporting events.
"Actually, all sports should be included in this PPI program. However, due to limited financial resources, we are currently focusing on individual sports rather than team sports. We are working to develop and retain athletes from Sumut so they do not move to other provinces. Preparation for the XXII PON 2028 has already started early," he explained.
Hatunggal explained that Porprovsu 2026 will feature competitions in 28 sports. The event will not only serve as a regional competition but also as a platform to identify and evaluate potential athletes who can be prepared for national-level competitions.
Based on the results of the KONI working meeting (Raker) in December 2025, sports organizations wishing to participate in Porprovsu must meet certain administrative requirements. One of the requirements is that at least 50 percent plus one of the sports associations from all regencies and cities in North Sumatra must be established, or there must be a minimum of 17 regency or city-level associations.
KONI Sumut has also encouraged all district and city organizations to participate in Porprovsu 2026. To date, KONI Sumut has established 16 KONI organizations at the district and city levels, including KONI North Nias and KONI West Nias.
According to Hatunggal, attention toward island regions such as Nias is an important part of the strategy to discover new sporting talents. KONI Sumut aims to ensure that all regions have opportunities to produce outstanding athletes who can strengthen the North Sumatra team.
"Why are we also focusing on Nias regencies? Because we want to find athletes with even the smallest potential so they can participate in this Porprovsu event. We are also implementing the PPI program in Nias. There is an athlete named Kevin there who won a silver medal at the SEA Games," Hatunggal said.
In addition to implementing development programs, KONI Sumut continues to prioritize social security and recognition for successful athletes. Hatunggal expressed appreciation for the support provided by the North Sumatra provincial government, particularly Governor Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution, who he said has shown strong commitment to regional sports development.
This support is reflected through various development programs and awards for North Sumatra athletes who have represented the region at national and international levels, including athletes who achieved success at the SEA Games.
"It can be said that sports in Sumut currently have a very strong position. First, there is significant attention from the governor toward athlete development and appreciation. Second, Sumut ranked fourth at the XXI PON Aceh-North Sumatra. Third, out of 35 athletes from Sumut who participated in the SEA Games, 30 athletes won medals," Hatunggal said.
He assessed that the combination of continuous development, government support, and athlete achievements has become an important foundation for Sumut to maintain its position as one of Indonesia's strongest sporting provinces.
KONI Sumut also continues to organize monthly sports activities as part of the preparation and public outreach efforts for Porprovsu 2026. Besides promoting the event among the community, these activities also serve as an opportunity to evaluate the readiness of athletes and sports organizations.
Hatunggal emphasized that KONI Sumut is committed to maintaining its achievements at the XXII PON, which according to current plans will be held in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), with DKI Jakarta serving as a supporting host region.
The main target of KONI Sumut is to maintain a performance level as close as possible to the results achieved at the XXI PON Aceh-North Sumatra 2024. However, challenges remain as several traditional leading sports of Sumut will not be included in the XXII PON program.
"We will try to defend our achievements at the XXII PON, which according to the results of the KONI coordination meeting will be held in NTT-NTB with DKI Jakarta as the supporting host region. We want to achieve results that are at least not far from the XXI PON, even though we may not reach 100 percent because some of our leading sports will not be competed at the XXII PON," he said.
Through the PPI program, Porprovsu 2026, and various other development initiatives, KONI Sumut hopes to produce high-quality athletes who can further strengthen the region's reputation and consolidate North Sumatra's position in Indonesia's national sports landscape. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Darmailawati | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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