Senator Agita Requested Improvement of Regional Sports Facilities during Working Meeting with KONI

20 April 2026 oleh admin

Jakarta, dpd.go.id – Agita Nurfianti, a member of Committee III of the House of Regional Representatives (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia representing West Java, highlighted the importance of equitable development and the maintenance of regional sports facilities. This was discussed during a Committee III Working Meeting with the National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI) on Monday (20/4) at the DPD RI Office in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

In the meeting, Agita emphasized that while facilities for the upcoming National Sports Week (PON) will certainly be prepared to the highest standard, attention toward sports infrastructure in every province must not be neglected.

"Facilities for PON will undoubtedly be well-prepared. However, I hope that sports facilities in every province are also continuously upgraded and expanded. Many new sports categories are emerging, while many older facilities are beginning to suffer from a lack of maintenance," Agita stated.

According to her, the development of national athletes fundamentally begins at the regional level. Athletes competing in PON originate from their respective provinces; therefore, they require proper and adequate training grounds to achieve maximum performance.

"The seeds of athletic talent are born in the regions. Consequently, they need decent facilities to prepare for PON and other championships," she continued.

Agita also pointed out the situation in West Java, which possesses a significant number of sports facilities, though some face maintenance issues and bureaucratic hurdles regarding management authority. She argued that these issues should not hinder athlete development.

"In West Java, there are plenty of facilities, but some are poorly maintained. Sometimes there is still 'finger-pointing' regarding who is responsible for repairs. Meanwhile, athletes cannot stop training just to wait for repairs," she asserted. As an example, Agita mentioned the roller skating arena at GOR Saparua Bandung, which boasts high-quality, large-scale facilities but faces obstacles when repairs are needed. Furthermore, she noted that newer sports like skateboarding, which are increasingly popular among the younger generation, also require adequate infrastructure support.

In response, the First Vice Chairperson of KONI, Major General (Ret.) Suwarno, stressed the importance of optimizing existing regional sports facilities. He noted that due to budget constraints, local governments must maximize current assets, including collaborating with universities and the private sector.

"If the regional sports infrastructure exists but isn't utilized, and KONI isn't allocated the funds, how can we foster talent? The budget is small. We cannot compare it to Jakarta’s 87 trillion rupiah budget. Lampung, for instance, had 8 trillion last year, and Banten is similar. They have to divide those funds across many sectors, not just sports," Suwarno explained.

"So, in addition to renovations, we suggest using campus and private facilities. That is a good path. Use the facilities at universities; for example, I saw at Unila (University of Lampung) they have a swimming pool and a great sports hall—use them! The same goes for the volleyball hall in Metro; it's good, so we use it," he added.

He further advised future PON host provinces to avoid focusing on new construction, suggesting instead that they prioritize renovating old facilities to meet the standards of specific sports federations.

"Our advice to prospective host provinces: don't build from scratch if possible. Renovate and align them with standardization. For those standards, consult the respective sports headquarters," Suwarno clarified.

Agita concluded by reinforcing that national sports development must begin by strengthening the regional sports ecosystem. With adequate and well-maintained facilities, regional athletes will have a greater opportunity to grow and bring honor to the nation.