A total of 41 athletes from Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) will participate in the 2024 National Sports Week (PON) XXI, which will be hosted in Aceh and North Sumatra. Those athletes will compete in 13 different sport branches, and Udinus is among the universities with the most athletes representing in this event in Central Java. This shows the commitment of Udinus to supporting its athletes.
In detail, Udinus will send numerous athletes in various sports branches, including one weightlifting athlete, two basketball athletes, nine volleyball athletes, one indoor volleyball athlete, one badminton athlete, two chess players, two karate athletes, two shooting athletes, six wall-climbing athletes, one squashing athlete, seven taekwondo athletes, five table tennis athletes, one kickboxing athlete, and a wushu athlete.
Before the athletes departed for the event, they came before Prof. Dr. Ir. Edi Noersasongko, M.Kom. (the Chancellor of Udinus), to ask for prayers. At that time, they were accompanied by Prof. Dr. Kusni Ingsih, M.M., (the Vice Chancellor III of Student Affairs, and Dr. Rindra Yusianto, S.Kom., MT., (the Head of the Student Affairs Bureau at Udinus).
On that occasion, the chancellor emphasized that the support provided by Udinus was not only limited to sports but also education. Furthermore, he added that the campus was committed to supporting these athletes, knowing that becoming an athlete is not a long-term profession.
“We have prayed to the Lord, and may the Lord grant our wishes and prayers. Moreover, we see that being an athlete is not a long-term profession. For that reason, Udinus facilitates these athletes to pave their paths to continue their studies, while at the same time also prioritizing both their studies and athletic professions. By doing so, these athletes will have the ability to work in the real world, either as scientists or other kinds of contributors,” he uttered.
The athletes also expressed their deepest hopes for accomplishments at the 2024 PON XXI, both in the form of medals and pride for the campus. The chancellor also advised the athletes to compete in their fullest capacities.
“Certainly, we hope for our athletes to be winners so that they can be tokens of pride for Udinus, alma mater, and their families,” Prof. Edi said.
The Athletes’ Preparations
One of those 41 athletes, Dinda Putri, a taekwondo athlete, revealed that she had been preparing for this very competition for the last six months. As a whole, there are 12 taekwondo athletes representing the Central Java contingent, with six of them coming from Udinus.
“The Taekwondo team and I have prepared ourselves for six months. At the event, I will participate in the Women’s U-73 Kg Category, with the gold medal being my target,” she uttered.
With a surge of motivation and support from Udinus, the athletes are expected to give their best at the 2024 PON XXI and bring the names of their alma mater and contingent to their greatest heights. This year, the 2024 National Sports Week houses 67 sports branches. It is among the biggest sports events in Indonesia, being held only once every four years. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)
