Friday, 23 October 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The North Sumatra Provincial Government is continuing preparations for the 2026 Provincial Sports Games, known as Pekan Olahraga Provinsi Sumatera Utara (Porprov Sumut 2026). Although organisational preparations and competition venues are progressing according to schedule, the provincial government and the Indonesian National Sports Committee in North Sumatra (KONI Sumatera Utara) are continuing efforts to ensure that all regencies and cities take part.
Financial constraints in several regions are currently making it difficult to determine the final number of participating teams. Some regency and city administrations are still working on amendments to their 2026 regional budgets (P-APBD 2026) and are therefore unable to confirm their participation in the provincial sporting event.
The Head of the North Sumatra Provincial Youth and Sports Office, M. Mahfullah Pratama Daulay, outlined the latest preparations during a live broadcast organised by the North Sumatra Provincial Communication and Information Office on Kardopa Radio, at Jalan Iskandar Muda No. 117A in Medan. The programme was broadcast on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
Mahfullah emphasised that preparations for Porprov Sumut 2026 were continuing according to plan. At the same time, the provincial government wanted to give regions that had yet to complete their budget deliberations sufficient time to participate in the competition.
"Many regencies and cities have included this event in their amended 2026 regional budgets. In some areas, the budget amendments have not yet been formally approved, which has created difficulties. However, the situation remains open. We will wait for the regions that have not yet completed their budget deliberations," Mahfullah said.
Mahfullah, commonly known as Ipung, explained that the provincial government and KONI Sumatera Utara were continuing to encourage every regency and city to participate. Involvement from all regions would help identify sporting talent more comprehensively, including in remote areas.
Broad participation could also strengthen sporting competition between regions. The provincial games would give athletes opportunities to demonstrate their abilities and earn recognition that could lead to participation at higher levels of competition.
"The Governor has explicitly instructed us to make every possible effort to ensure that all regions participate. This will allow us to identify talent from across the province, including in remote areas. It will also stimulate sporting competition throughout the region," Ipung said.
The initiative is consistent with broader efforts to expand sports development rather than concentrating resources solely on areas that already have better sporting facilities and greater financial support. Participation by regencies and cities could also provide a more comprehensive picture of North Sumatra's sporting strengths.
Mahfullah reiterated that the provincial government was closely monitoring developments in each region. Financial difficulties, he said, should not automatically result in regencies or cities being excluded from the provincial sporting event.
KONI Sumatera Utara Chairman Hatunggal Siregar said the organising committee had registered approximately 3,700 athletes and 1,600 officials for Porprov Sumut 2026. However, these figures could still change because several regions had yet to confirm their participation definitively.
Hatunggal explained that athlete funding was based on a cost-sharing arrangement between regency or city administrations and the provincial government. Nevertheless, differences in the financial capacity of individual regions remained a challenge that needed to be resolved as soon as possible to enable all intended participants to compete.
"As mentioned earlier, there are still difficulties concerning budget allocations. Although the costs for our athletes are shared equally between the regions and the province, we naturally hope that everyone will participate. This is also in line with the Governor's instructions. He even asked me to visit the regions personally, if necessary, to ensure their participation," Hatunggal said.
The shared funding arrangement is intended to help regions cover the costs of sending their athletes to the competition. The provincial government and KONI Sumatera Utara are therefore continuing to work to ensure that regency and city administrations complete both their administrative preparations and the necessary budget decisions in good time.
Hatunggal stressed that the North Sumatra Governor's instructions formed the basis of efforts to secure the widest possible participation. KONI did not intend simply to wait for formal commitments from the regions but was also prepared to contact the relevant administrations directly and encourage them to take part.
Regarding the organisation of the event, Hatunggal said preparations at the competition venues were generally progressing according to the planned schedule. The organising committee therefore did not currently anticipate any major changes to preparations at the host venues.
However, the committee was considering postponing the competition to give regencies and cities that had yet to resolve their budgetary problems additional time. Porprov Sumut 2026 was originally scheduled to take place from 7 to 15 November 2026. The opening date could now be delayed by one or two weeks.
The adjustment would give the regions more time to confirm their athletes' participation. The organising committee intends to announce an updated schedule once it has assessed further developments in the participating regions' preparations.
"Preparations at the competition venues are progressing according to schedule. However, participation remains a challenge because of issues involving amended regional budgets. We may therefore postpone the competition, originally scheduled for 7–15 November, by one or two weeks. We will announce the final dates later," Hatunggal said.
A confirmed schedule is essential for the participating teams to prepare effectively. This includes arranging training programmes, athlete travel, accommodation and technical coordination with the organisers. Any change to the dates must therefore take account of participants' needs while ensuring that all competitions run smoothly.
Porprov Sumut 2026 is not merely a sporting contest for regional honours. It also provides an opportunity to identify and develop talent across North Sumatra. By encouraging the widest possible participation, the organisers hope to create a more inclusive competition and give athletes from different regencies and cities a platform to demonstrate their abilities.
The North Sumatra Provincial Government and KONI Sumatera Utara are continuing their efforts to resolve the outstanding issues. While preparations at the competition venues are progressing according to schedule, the availability of funding and the final number of participating teams will be key factors in determining when Porprov Sumut 2026 ultimately takes place. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
