PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Bandung has reaffirmed its position as a national sports development hub. For three days, the city hosted the fourth series of the Indonesian Taekwondo Executive Board (PBTI) Championships, with approximately 1,700 athletes from 18 provinces participating.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan believes that being trusted to host this national event is proof of Bandung City's commitment to supporting sports development, from early childhood development to producing high-achieving athletes at the world level.

"Thank God, Bandung hosted the fourth series of the taekwondo championship for three days. This demonstrates Bandung's commitment to continuing to be a hub for the development of various sports," said Farhan at the Bandung Arena Sports Hall on Saturday, July 4, 2026.

According to him, sports development must be carried out comprehensively, starting from cultivating sports in society to producing athletes who are able to compete on the international stage.

Farhan revealed that the results of the training are beginning to be seen. Of the four national taekwondo athletes currently undergoing training camps in preparation for the Olympics, two are from Bandung: Arjuna and Meka.

"Sports is a process from upstream to downstream. The upstream is the cultivation and popularization of sports. The downstream is world-class achievements. Thank God, two athletes in the national training camp preparing for the Olympics are from Bandung," he said.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman of PBTI, Major General TNI Amrin Ibrahim, appreciated the support of the Bandung City Government (Pemkot) in making the championship a success.

He said that of the five championship series held this year, the series in Bandung City recorded the largest number of participants.

"We would like to thank the Mayor for providing the venue and facilities. The enthusiasm of the participants in Bandung was extraordinary, reaching around 1,700 athletes from 18 provinces. This is the largest number of participants compared to previous series," said Amrin.

In addition to regular athletes, the championship also included 18 para taekwondo athletes from six provinces. According to Amrin, the high participation demonstrates the positive development of taekwondo in Indonesia.

He also expressed his appreciation for the contribution of Bandung City in producing national athletes.

"West Java has long been a powerhouse of athletes for Indonesia. But Bandung is exceptional, contributing two athletes to the national training camp. Hopefully, in the future, more Bandung athletes will achieve success at the national and international levels," he said.

Meanwhile, the PBTI Competition Committee, Charles Christofers, explained that the championship will be held in four categories, namely pre-cadet, cadet, junior and senior.

Specifically for the senior category, the competition is a selection event for athletes to compete for the national training camp, where eight gold medals will be won.

"The competition is very intense. The athletes have shown fierce competition since the cadet category. The competition is expected to remain intense through the senior category, especially between Bandung and Central Java," Charles explained.

The Bandung City contingent was the participant with the largest number of athletes ranging from pre-cadet to senior categories.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/rka)