UPH Host the Opening Ceremony of POMDA Banten 2014

The fifth Pekan Olahraga Mahasiswa Tingkat Daerah (POMDA) Banten was held again this year. The opening of POMDA Banten was held in Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) campus, Lippo Vilage, on Saturday, October 11^th 2014, by Plt. of Banten Governor, Rano Karno. Local government official, head of Badan Pembina Olahraga Mahasiswa Indonesia (BAPOMI) Banten, head of Asosiasi Perguruan Tinggi Swasta Indonesia (APTISI), Banten district officials, Banten collage representatives, judges, and athlete from all universities in Banten also came to this opening.

The fifth POMDA was followed by 38 private universities and three public universities in Banten province. There are 12 sports for men and women which competed in some universities, including soccer in SGU (Swiss German University), futsal, volley ball, basketball, swimming, athletics, and badminton in UPH, pencak silat in UNIS Tangerang, chest in STIE Budhi, karate in STMIK Raharja, and table tennis and taekwondo in UMN. The winner of this POMDA will be sent to national level in Aceh in 2015. All of the cost of the event will be covered by Pemda Banten through Dinas Pendidikan (Dispen) Banten.

In this event, Director of Sport and Wellness Center UPH, Stephen Metcalfe welcomed the government official and the guest, especially the athletes. He said that UPH as the education institution which implemented the holistic education give much support to this activity, and believes that this competition can give valuable lessons for all participants. For winning this competition, all participants need to have good collaboration in their team. He also appealed to all participants to compete with maximum effort, honest, and sportive to reach the best achievements for their own university.

Plt. of Banten Governor, Rano Harno, expects that through this POMDA will appear the student team representative which can compete in National level. ?I hope that this event can strengthen the relationship between college students in Banten and always compete in reaching the best achievement. Besides of that, college students also should have high target and can be able to carry the name of Banten in National level, moreover until international level,? said Rano Karno, when opened the fifth POMDA.

Besides that, Head of committee of POMDA, Abas Sunarya said that this POMDA, at once, foster and enhance the sense of unity, togetherness, friendship, and fraternity between college students in Banten. Not only that, this event also helps the government in improving Banten?s sport achievement.

The first competition was held on October 8^th 2014 with sports which held in SGU Campus and will end on October 15^th 2014. (RH/vre)