CIBUBUR, PERGATSI – The 2026 National Gateball Championship officially concluded at the National Sports Hospital (RSON) Field in Cibubur, East Jakarta, on Saturday (October 24, 2026). Central Sulawesi emerged as the overall champion, winning four gold medals and one silver medal across the 11 events contested.
President of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Gateball Association (PB Pergatsi), Diana Kusumastuti, expressed her appreciation to all athletes, coaches, referees, organizing committee members, and sponsors who contributed to the successful staging of the championship. During the closing ceremony, she also encouraged athletes to use their results as motivation to further improve their performance.
“I congratulate Central Sulawesi on winning the overall championship. For regions that have not yet achieved their best results, stay motivated and keep striving. For those who have won, do not become complacent; continue to improve your performance,” Diana said.
The 2026 National Gateball Championship was held from October 20–24, 2026, and attracted approximately 747 athletes from 27 provinces across Indonesia. The competition served as a platform for athletes to assess their abilities while preparing for upcoming championships.
Diana also urged athletes, coaches, and officials to prepare for future sporting events. She expressed her hope that Indonesian gateball would continue to develop and become increasingly competitive at the international level, including the possibility of competing in the Asian Games.
“We must prepare ourselves for upcoming championships. I hope this spirit and these achievements will continue to grow,” she said.
Strengthening the Competition System
Chairman of the 2026 National Gateball Championship Organizing Committee, Yuslan, said the event had proceeded in an orderly and smooth manner thanks to the cooperation of all parties involved. He expressed his appreciation to the participants and apologized for any shortcomings during the championship.
According to Yuslan, one of the key changes introduced this year was the implementation of a top-three system to determine which teams advanced to the next round. The system was designed to ensure that qualification was determined by match results rather than luck in the draw.
“With this system, teams advancing to the next round are genuinely determined by their match results, not by luck in the draw,” Yuslan said.
He explained that the organizing committee had recorded approximately 747 participating athletes from 27 provinces. This level of participation was encouraging despite several travel-related challenges faced by competitors, including haze disruptions in some regions.
Yuslan expressed hope that the national championship would strengthen gateball development and athlete training across the country. He also called for improvements in competition standards to further establish gateball as a competitive sport in Indonesia.
Central Sulawesi Dominates the Championship
According to the final results, Central Sulawesi secured first place in the women's team, women's triple, men's triple, and women's singles events. These achievements propelled the province to the overall championship title with four gold medals and one silver medal.
Other regions also delivered strong performances across various events. The Special Region of Yogyakarta won the men's team event, South Sulawesi claimed the mixed team title, Papua took gold in the mixed triple event, Bali won the women's doubles event, South Kalimantan topped the men's doubles event, North Sumatra won the mixed doubles event, and Gorontalo claimed gold in the men's singles event.
These achievements are expected to motivate all regions to strengthen athlete development programs and improve performance standards. Through sustained competition and continuous development, Indonesian gateball is expected to become increasingly competitive and gain greater opportunities to participate in international sporting events, including the Asian Games. (PAH/ROY)
