The National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI) of Jambi Province has taken a strategic step to improve regional sports achievements. For two days, on July 8–9, 2026, representatives of coaches and assistant coaches from 54 sports branches participated in intensive training at the KONI Jambi Hall to prepare for the XXII PON in 2028 in NTB, NTT, and Jakarta.
The event, officially opened by the General Chair of KONI Jambi, AKBP Mat Sanusi, featured national-level experts to transfer coaching knowledge. The speakers included Dr. Iwan Hermawan, a national physical conditioning expert for badminton and sepak takraw, and Kemenpora RI expert consultant, Dr. Greg Wilson. This step was taken as a form of serious evaluation of the declining trend in Jambi's medal tally in the PON over the last few editions.
Mat Sanusi emphasized that budget constraints should not be an excuse to lower coaching standards. For him, improving coach competency is a crucial long-term investment to produce highly competitive athletes. A focus on mastering sport science is expected to drive athlete performance improvements at the national level.
Echoing this sentiment, the Vice General Chair of KONI Jambi, AS Budianto, explained that this training is part of long-term preparations leading up to the 2027 PON Qualification Round. Besides the training program, KONI Jambi is also preparing for the Martial Arts PON in North Sulawesi. The athlete selection process for six priority sports branches is scheduled for late July, followed by intensive Regional Training (Pelatda) in August.
The Head of the Youth and Sports Office (Dispora) of Jambi Province, Novriadi, also appreciated the initiative. His office hopes that all coaches can absorb the knowledge provided and immediately apply it in daily training programs. Consistency in coaching carried out by KONI is expected to be the key for Jambi to return to glory at the 2028 PON arena.
