NTB Governor to Evaluate KONI After Porprov Marred by Brawls
The 2026 West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Sports Week (Porprov) concluded with Mataram City emerging as the overall champion, but the event was overshadowed by brawls in several sports, prompting a stern response from the provincial government. Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal stated that he would summon the management of the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) of NTB for an evaluation. “Tomorrow we will conduct an evaluation. The fact that there were shortcomings here and there is our shared responsibility,” Iqbal said after the closing ceremony at the Turida Sports Hall in Mataram on Saturday (25/7/2026).
Iqbal emphasised that the evaluation aims to uncover the root causes of the problems marring the quadrennial event. The review is also intended to prevent similar chaos from recurring when NTB co-hosts the National Games (PON) in 2028 alongside East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). He did not deny that the negative dynamics on the field serve as a serious warning regarding NTB’s readiness for the PON. According to him, the Porprov should have been a vital simulation to test the province’s capacity as a host for a national-level event. “But, God willing, we can be the best host. We must prepare ourselves, both physically, infrastructure, the quality of the organisation, and the athletes,” Iqbal continued.
Beyond evaluating the technical aspects and mentality of the matches, the governor also highlighted the poor state of supporting infrastructure. He revealed that the majority of existing sports facilities, including the Turida Sports Hall, do not yet meet the standards required for a national event. He confirmed that the central government has committed to providing renovation assistance. Iqbal also announced that the organising committee for the 2028 PON will be formed soon. “We will form it in the near future, definitely within the next month or two we must prepare it,” he said.
Separately, KONI NTB Chairman Mori Hanafi sought to downplay the situation, arguing that the public should not generalise the event as a total failure based on a few incidents. He claimed that out of more than 6,000 matches held, serious disturbances only occurred in three to four sports, including silat, drum band, beach volleyball, and BMX. “Just because three sports had problems, we say the whole event is a mess? That’s not fair,” Mori countered. He further alleged that the uproar was being deliberately amplified by certain parties aiming to remove him from his position as KONI NTB Chairman ahead of the provincial sports conference later this year. “I’ve already said, if someone wants to be KONI Chairman, that’s fine, as long as they have Rp 5 billion in personal funds,” Mori stated.