PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan is promoting sports activities as a driver of the economy and sports tourism in Bandung City.

This was conveyed by Farhan when giving a speech at the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run Lunch Gathering event at the Bandung City Hall, Saturday (19/9/2026).

According to him, various sporting events held in Bandung City are not just competitions, but also have an impact on the community's economic activities.

Farhan said that in recent years, Bandung City has become increasingly active in hosting various national and international sporting events.

"Sporting events aren't just events. Believe it or not, last year we hosted the international bridge championship. Around 900 people attended," said Farhan.

According to him, even though bridge is a quiet sport and not widely known by the public, this activity still has an impact on the city's economy.

"When they play bridge, they have to be calm, which is why not many people know about it. But it creates economic activity," he said.

Farhan said the sports agenda in Bandung City will be increasingly busy, including the West Java Provincial Sports Week along with several other regions and the National Folding Bike Jamboree in December.

"Bandung will become increasingly busy hosting various sporting events, both competitive and in the form of sports tourism," he said.

Farhan believes that the presence of Pocari Sweat Run Indonesia since 2017 has provided benefits for the city of Bandung.

In the last two years, the Bandung City Government has even been directly involved in organizing these activities through collaboration with the organizers.

In addition, Farhan highlighted the safety aspects of participants, especially runners who performed the dawn prayer at mosques along the route.

He admitted that he received a report from the previous event that two runners were unable to take part in the race because they lost their shoes after performing the dawn prayer.

"I was very impressed by how well the mosque was secured. A few months ago, two runners were in tears because they couldn't compete because their shoes had disappeared after the morning prayer. I believe that shouldn't happen again," said Farhan.

To prevent similar incidents, the Bandung City Government has coordinated with sub-district heads, village heads, and Linmas in the areas around the race track.

Farhan asked all regional elements to ensure the security of the belongings of participants who use the mosque facilities during the activity.

"During these two days, if there are participants who pray at the mosque, not a single item can be lost," he explained.

Farhan also reminded about a number of points that need special attention or pinch points during the competition.

The Bandung City Government and the organizers have made adjustments to the route, although most of the old route will still be used.

He asked participants to be careful when passing through a number of intersections, including the area under the flyover.

Besides safety, Farhan appreciates the interaction between runners and road users.

According to him, good communication between participants, marshals, and the community is one of the keys to the smooth running of activities.

"I also saw the runners interacting well with the riders. My concerns that the marshals would get emotional were also not realized," he said.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)