Deputy Chairman of the Central KONI, Major General TNI (Ret.) Dr. Suwarno, emphasized that the 2025 National Sports Week (PON) for Self-Defense is an important momentum in developing Indonesia's second-tier athletes.
"Moreover, this event coincides with the national training athletes' preparation period for the SEA Games in Thailand, so most of the national training athletes will not be participating in the 2025 Kudus National Martial Arts Games," said Suwarno in a press conference at the Djarum Arena Kaliputu, Kudus, Friday.
This resulted in most of the athletes who participated in the national training not being included in the PON Martial Arts because they were focused on facing the SEA Games.
According to him, the criteria for PON Self-Defense participants are left to each sports branch's parent organization to provide an opportunity for regions to showcase athletes who have the potential to become substitutes.
"This is a golden opportunity to develop the quality of second-tier athletes. For sports that don't have national training athletes, I'm sure the provincial KONI will field their best athletes," said Suwarno.
