Aceh-Sumut PON Budget Lowest Compared to Previous Events

The facilities for the 21st National Sports Week (PON) in Aceh and North Sumatra have drawn heavy public criticism for being substandard and inadequate for athletes, referees, and provincial contingents.

Complaints include damaged and muddy roads leading to venues, dirty bathrooms, lack of clean water, venues still under construction, frequently delayed athlete meals, insufficient and nutritionally unbalanced meals, and late athlete transportation.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, responded to the widespread complaints by apologizing for the lack of coordination between his ministry and the PON Aceh-Sumatra organizers.

"I must apologize; there was a significant lack of coordination and delays, but we guarantee that all competitions can proceed," Dito told reporters at the parliament complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, as reported by Detik.com on Thursday, September 12, 2024.

However, regarding the facilities, Dito stated that this falls under the scope of the regional government. He added that the central government has recently been involved in addressing these issues.

The PON Aceh-Sumatra was built with a budget of Rp811 billion, according to data compiled by Databoks from dataaceh.id and other sources.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) previously stated that the budget was allocated for the renovation and construction of 18 PON venues in Aceh Province. These venues are spread across several areas: Banda Aceh City, Aceh Besar Regency, Pidie Regency, and Aceh Tengah Regency.

It should be noted that some sources indicate that the Rp811 billion was not solely for Aceh, but also for improvements in North Sumatra. The budget was allocated to several sectors, including venue revitalization, venue construction, committees, supervisors, judges, and game facilities and infrastructure.

This amount is relatively low compared to the five previous PON events.

The PON XX in Papua in 2020 received a budget of Rp10.4 trillion, the highest in the last five PON events.

The 2008 PON in East Kalimantan received Rp4.5 trillion.

The 2012 PON in Riau and the 2016 PON in West Java each received Rp3.1 trillion.

This national sporting event, held every four years, is currently taking place in Aceh and North Sumatra from September 9-20, 2024.

(See also: [Medal Standings PON 2024 Thursday (12/9), East Java Tops])