Jakarta strikes before PON opening
Jakarta strikes before PON opening
The Jakarta Post, Palembang
Jakarta ruled early in the National Games (PON) by collecting
six gold medals a day before the opening ceremony of the 16th
edition of the Games here at Jakabaring Stadium on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Jakarta, which had been the dominant force in
the nation's biggest sporting spectacle before East Java toppled
it to win the most medals 2000, grabbed another three golds to
give it a total of six overall.
One gold for Jakarta was contributed by its aging, veteran
gymnast Jonathan Sianturi who triumphed in the pommel horse
event. Young gymnast M. Aldila Akbar won the other two golds on
the floor and vault events.
North Sumatra also won two golds, while East Java, Jambi,
Riau, Lampung and West Sumatra took one apiece in the gymnastics
competition.
Badminton began its team event competition with Taufik
Hidayat, the only gold winner for Indonesia at the just-concluded
Athens Olympics, suffering a stunning defeat to fellow national
player Wiempie Mahardi but West Java still went through to the
next stage with a 4-1 win over North Sumatra.
East Java, which lines up Olympic bronze medalist Sony Dwi
Kuncoro, took the same score in its drubbing of Lampung.
Diving and tennis also kicked off their competitions a day
before the opening ceremony. Other sports already playing their
competitions as of Monday included soccer, basketball,
volleyball, and paragliding.
In volleyball, defending champion East Java opened its bid
with a convincing 3-0 win over Papua on Wednesday.
East Java also made a winning start in the basketball by
crushing South Kalimantan 88-25. Another favorite team West Java
overcame North Sumatra 67-51.
Meanwhile, the Games torch rounded off its two-week trip
across 13 regencies. The torch, which has covered a total
distance of 997 kilometers, ended its journey with a parade
inside the town of Palembang to a welcoming reception of
thousands of people.
It will stay at the Mayoralty Office before it is transferred
to light the Games cauldron at the Jakabaring Stadium on Thursday
(today).
About 7,000 athletes from 30 provinces will take part in 41
sports. The Games, which is being hosted outside Java for the
first time in two decades, will run until Sept. 14.
Jakarta tops the nine other teams in the medal tally with six
golds, four silvers, and a bronze.
Riau, North Sumatra and Jambi each collected two golds but
Riau beat out the other two teams, thanks to an additional silver
medal.