Banyuwangi, Indonesia – The Kabupaten Banyuwangi area played host to the prestigious Kejuaraan Provinsi Taekwondo Best Of The Best for East Java Province, which commenced on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The regional tournament was officially opened by Banyuwangi's Regent, Ipuk Fiestiandani, who welcomed participants from 39 contingents, representing 870 competitors from 21 cities and counties across East Java. "Welcome to all participants, and thank you to East Java Province for choosing Banyuwangi as the host for this championship," expressed Regent Ipuk during the opening ceremony.
Regent Ipuk voiced her pride toward the young athletes who were representing their local areas, emphasizing the importance of this tournament for youth development. The championship featured various categories, including Pra Kadet for ages 9-11, Kadet for ages 12-14, Junior for ages 15-17, and Senior for over 18 years. "It's impressive. Although they are still young, they are already representing their regions. Best of luck to everyone. Use this tournament as valuable experience, to train your mental strength, build character, and discipline," she stated.
During the event, Satrio Bintang, the Committee Chairman for the Taekwondo Championship, informed attendees about the schedule, noting the competition would last for three days, concluding on December 22, 2024. He highlighted the rigorous selection process for participants, stating, "All competing athletes have passed qualifying rounds within their respective cities and counties." He elaborated on the purpose of the event, stating, "This championship aims to discover outstanding young taekwondo athletes from East Java, as well as to prepare them for the upcoming Pekan Olahraga Provinsi (Provincial Sports Week). The senior class winners will be recruited for the regional training center (puslatda) of East Java."
Also present at the opening ceremony were representatives from the East Java KONI Board, provincial taekwondo management, and the Chairman of KONI Banyuwangi, Ahmad Khairullah.
Meanwhile, the world of Indonesian academia was also celebrating achievements, as Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ) successfully maintained its status as "Badan Publik Informatif" during the 2024 Public Information Disclosure Monitoring and Evaluation (Emonev) held on December 17, 2024. This recognition was accorded based on the Central Information Commission of the Republic of Indonesia’s decision, reaching a high score of 97.73. Remarkably, UNJ has shown significant improvement since its first participation back in 2020 when its rating was just 10.40, classified as "Tidak Informatif" (Not Informative).
Over the years, UNJ has gradually improved its status, first obtaining "Menuju Informatif" (Towards Informative) with scores of 80.23 and 80.68 during 2021 and 2022 respectively. The year 2023 marked its first 'Informative' achievement with a score of 96.14, culminating in this year’s latest accomplishment. Nugrahaeni, the head of UNJ’s Public Information Operator, expressed gratitude and pride, hoping the institution would continue to advance. "We are very grateful and proud of this achievement and hope for continued success. Our ranking should continue to rise," Nugrahaeni declared.
Prof. Fahrurrozi, who was present during the award ceremony, acknowledged the institution's commitment to enhancing public information management quality, sharing his satisfaction with UNJ’s continuous improvement. This distinction is also seen as pivotal as UNJ transitions to being a state university with legal entities (PTNBH), potentially leading to more effective governance and transparency.
Meanwhile, within the educational system, achievements were also seen at MAN 1 Pati, where students excelled at the Festival Ekonomi Syariah, hosted by Institut Pesantren Matholi’ul Falah (Ipmafa) on December 21, 2024. MAN 1 Pati students brought home trophies across three categories. Ahmad Ibad Nur Ristianto won first place in the Scientific Writing Competition (LKTI) dedicated to Islamic economics and also triumphed with his team to claim third place for their Creative Video category. Raisa Salsabila Al Ghifari represented the school and secured second place in the Islamic Economics Kultum category.
The school’s Headmaster, Amiruddin Aziz, was elated with the accomplishments of his students, emphasizing their continuous performance as the year draws to a close and the semester transitions. "This is truly amazing, especially with the year-end and semester changes; our students still manage to excel. I hope this becomes motivation for others, and we will continue to support these students as they represent our school with pride," he affirmed.
Ahmad Ibad Nur Ristianto expressed his gratitude for achieving results beyond expectations. "This is beyond our expectations, as we believed we had some shortcomings. Yet, thank God, we have achieved first place, and I hope it benefits me, my tutors, and the school," he stated shortly after receiving the honor.
This series of events highlights the momentum within Indonesian Taekwondo and education, showcasing pride, diligence, and the accomplishments achieved by students and institutions alike. Both the competitive spirit within athletic events like the Taekwondo championship and the educational accolades reflect the nation’s continuous effort to thrive and promote excellence across various fields.
