JAKARTA,
PERGATSI– The
Indonesian Gateball Association (PB PERGATSI) will hold its National Working
Meeting (Rakernas) and National Gateball Championship (Kejurnas) from Oct. 19
to 24 in Jakarta as the organization seeks to strengthen governance, athlete
development and competition standards.
PERGATSI
Chairperson Diana Kusumastuti said the national agenda would be an
opportunity to consolidate the organization, evaluate its development programs
and improve the quality of Gateball competitions across Indonesia.
“All
PERGATSI members, from the central to regional levels, must share one vision,
one direction and one commitment,” Diana said during an online consolidation meeting
ahead of the events.
She said
organizational interests must take precedence over personal or group interests,
while stronger internal coordination was needed to ensure that issues emerging
in the regions could be addressed quickly.
“Every issue
in the regions must be identified immediately, and there must, of course, be a
solution,” she said.
Diana also
called for a more systematic, open and responsive communication mechanism
between the central and regional organizations.
Strengthening development programs
PERGATSI’s
divisions have been asked to evaluate programs mandated by the organization’s
National Deliberation Meeting (PUNAS), with the results to be used in
determining future priorities.
Diana said the organization needed to move beyond routine program implementation and conduct regular evaluations to respond to changes in the sporting environment.
Athlete
development will remain a key priority, with greater attention also being given
to coaches, referees, judges and other competition officials.
“We must
improve the quality of coaches, referees, judges and competition officials,”
she said.
PERGATSI
will also review shortcomings in the implementation of competitions and make
adjustments to its organizational regulations.
Diana urged
the organization to adopt a more open and prudent approach to management while
developing greater financial independence and reducing reliance on the state
budget.
“We must
become independent and self-reliant,” she said.
11 competition categories
PB PERGATSI
Executive Chairman Khalawi AH said the National Championship
would feature 11 competition categories.
They are
women’s team, women’s doubles, men’s team, men’s doubles, mixed team, mixed
doubles, women’s triples, women’s singles, men’s triples, men’s singles and
mixed triples.
Khalawi said
participant age limits would also be discussed during the Rakernas following a
proposal to review the maximum age requirement and provide wider opportunities
for players to compete.
“The issue
of age restrictions will be discussed at the Rakernas,” he said.
The event
was initially planned for an earlier date but was rescheduled several times to
take into account organizational readiness and budget considerations.
12 courts to be prepared
The
organizing committee plans to prepare 12 courts for the championship.
The event
will require around 24 referees, 24 assistant referees who will also act as
scorekeepers, and 48 line judges.
Regional
PERGATSI administrations will be allowed to nominate referees to gain greater
competition experience, although their competence and eligibility will remain
key considerations.
The
refereeing division will finalize the composition of competition officials
after receiving data from the regions.
Preparations
will also cover equipment, accommodation, transportation, medical services,
security, publicity and documentation.
“Preparation
for the National Championship must be comprehensive and professional, covering
the technical aspects of the competition, officials, courts, equipment,
accommodation, transportation, medical services, security, publicity and
documentation,” Diana said.
Fair play and financial accountability
Diana said
the National Championship should serve not only as a platform for athletes to
compete for sporting achievements, but also as an indicator of the progress of
Gateball development in Indonesia.
She called
for fair play, discipline, sportsmanship and mutual respect to be upheld
throughout the competition.
Financial
management will also be closely monitored, with organizers urged to ensure that
funds are used efficiently, transparently and responsibly.
“We must not
make the wrong decisions. I ask everyone to ensure that we remain clean and
accountable,” Diana said.
She
instructed the Executive Chairman and the organizational team to immediately
establish the organizing committee, appoint an event chairperson and assign
responsibilities to each division to ensure preparations run in an orderly
manner.
Targeting youngers players
The
consolidation meeting also highlighted the need to strengthen athlete
regeneration, particularly among younger players.
Budi Sulistijono,
Chairman of the Central KONI Disciplinary Commission, said youth development
should become a more serious priority, noting that Gateball players are
currently still largely drawn from older age groups.
He said
PERGATSI needed to expand the sport’s reach into schools and introduce Gateball
to younger generations across Indonesia.
Youth
development, he said, would be essential to sustaining Indonesia’s future
Gateball achievements and broadening the sport’s player base.
At the same
time, Budi said Gateball’s character as a community sport should also be
maintained by providing opportunities for players across different age groups.
“Youth
development needs to be strengthened, but we also cannot overlook senior
players who have been an integral part of Gateball’s development,” Budi said.
He added
that the National Championship could provide broader competitive opportunities
for players while helping prepare athletes for various national sporting
events. (PAH/CHI)
