PON 2024 Athletes Hope for Better Road Access to Venue

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indoor volleyball athletes competing at the National Games or PON 2024 hope the road construction surrounding the North Sumatra Sports Center in Deli Serdang will be completed soon.

Some athletes spoke to Antara in Deli Serdang on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, that road access is one of the many incomplete aspects of PON 2024.

Jakarta-based athletes Shakira Dwi Kurnia Amanda and Cindy Tiara Berliyan said their team had to walk a few hundred meters to the sports venue. This condition, they said, is “less than ideal.”

“We had to walk (to reach the sports center), instead of being escorted to the entrance (by vehicle). We had to walk for a few hundred meters, but thankfully that didn’t dampen our team’s spirit,” the athletes said.

Sharing Shakira and Cindy’s opinion, Central Java women’s volleyball captain, Ersandrina Devega Salsabila, says road access to the sports center requires special attention. 

“At least complete the road construction at the front (of the sports center), it was flooded during training so it was difficult to reach (the indoor volleyball court),” Ersandrina explained.

The Central Java men’s volleyball captain, Kaula Hidayat, believes road access to the games' venue is one of the crucial aspects of PON 2024.

“The road access, since the distance between the bus stop and the Sports Center is between 150 to 200 meters. It’s too far, especially if we’re carrying a heavy coolbox,” Kaula said.

The construction of the road heading to the PON 2024 venue for indoor volleyball is expedited after previously hindering the games’ schedule. The elimination round, slated for September 10, had to be delayed to September 11 due to incomplete infrastructure. 

ANTARA

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