In 2021, Indonesia has organized a National Sports Week or commonly known as PON. This event is a major national sporting activity in Indonesia which is attended by contingents from all provinces in Indonesia. This activity, which is organized by the Indonesian National Sports Committee, is held every four years.
Historically, the Indonesian National Sports Week was first held on 9-12 September 1948 in the city of Solo, Central Java. The implementation of the first PON was the result of a conference organized by the Indonesian Sports Association (PORI) in Solo on May 2-3, 1948. Until now, Indonesia has held PON 20 times, with the last one being held in Papua on October 2-15, 2021.
The holding of the last PON in Papua, received very wide attention in Indonesia, where in addition to the success of the event, Papua also managed to amaze the Indonesian people with its magnificent stadium which is said to be the grandest stadium in eastern Indonesia, and no less magnificent than Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK) in Jakarta.
The stadium is located in Harapan Village, East Sentani District, Jayapura Regency, Papua. Apart from being a venue for football matches, this stadium is also equipped with an athletic track. The grass used in the field is Zoysia Matrella grass or Manilla grass. The stadium, which has a capacity of 40 thousand seats, was built with a budget of up to Rp. 1.3 trillion, and has been designed in such a way according to FIFA standards. The Lukas Enembe Stadium is also equipped with advanced features in the form of LED smart lighting with DMX technology from Phillips that can follow music beats with a power of 1,800 lux. The scoreboard already uses digital technology which is installed on two sides of the stands. This scoreboard was imported directly from Europe, while 88 units of sound system equipment were imported from Japan.
In terms of architecture, this building has a unique and magnificent shape. From a distance, the Lukas Enembe Stadium looks like a blooming flower. The building is also decorated with Papuan carving motifs. Now this stadium has become an icon and pride of the Indonesian Papuan people.
J S (the author is a social journalist who observes the culture of indigenous peoples).