The 81st Indonesian Independence Cup Beach Volleyball Tournament, held in the Pasir Putih tourist area of Muara Benangaq Village, Melak District, Kutai Barat, has successfully produced new champions. The duo of Rio Fabiano and Jepi Jaksen from the Mahakam Bisnis Bersaudara team secured the first podium in the men's category during the final match on Sunday (2/8/2026).
Meanwhile, in the women's category, the championship title was claimed by Team ESOKAWA, represented by the strong duo of Ameliana Manda and Ayu Wana. The two-day competition, which kicked off on August 1, 2026, saw participation from 21 local teams from Kutai Barat, comprising 12 men's teams and 9 women's teams.
In addition to celebrating Independence Day, this competition was designed as a platform for development and a warm-up for local athletes. The event serves as crucial preparation for the Kutai Barat beach volleyball team before competing in the 2026 East Kalimantan Provincial Sports Week (Porprov) to be held in Paser Regency.
The Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Ari Ramadani, explained that this tournament is a concrete manifestation of support for the program of the National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI) Kutai Barat. Ari hopes this event can be included in the regional annual calendar, given that the Pasir Putih Muara Benangaq area has great potential to be developed as a sports tourism hub.
A similar hope was expressed by the Vice Regent of Kutai Barat, H. Nanang Adriani. He highly appreciated the initiative of the residents and the village government in optimizing the natural potential of Pasir Putih. According to Nanang, this area is highly representative for hosting various water sports and cultural festivals in the future.
The Head of Muara Benangaq Village, Mastomo, added that in addition to beach volleyball, they also organized a Trofeo football tournament specifically for Mahakam coastal teams. This effort is aimed at improving the competitiveness of coastal athletes so they can match the performance of strong teams from other districts, such as Barong Tongkok and Linggang Bigung.
