Inp.polri.go.id - Banda Aceh.  The opening ceremony of the 2024 National Sports Week (PON) XXI Aceh-North Sumatra was a grand spectacle on Monday evening (9/9/2024) at Harapan Bangsa Stadium, Banda Aceh, starting at 6 pm local time.

The event began with performances by local bands Tangke and Apache, followed by a break for the Maghrib prayer. Afterward, Acehnese singers Liza Aulia and Zulpase, along with the Gita Handayani marching band, performed, as reported by antaranews.com.

President Joko Widodo arrived at 8 pm to officially kick off the ceremony, which included the Indonesian national anthem sung by Tiara Andini and a colossal dance performance involving 873 dancers celebrating Acehnese culture.

The event also featured a defile of athletes from all provinces, with the final teams being host regions Aceh and North Sumatra.

The ceremony concluded with the lighting of the PON cauldron by weightlifter Nurul Akmal, accompanied by a vibrant fireworks display.

PON 2024 is the first to be hosted across two provinces and features 13,000 athletes competing in 65 sports disciplines.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)