UNS – Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta actively contributes to the 17th National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) 2024. UNS Rector Prof. Dr. Hartono, dr. M.Si., stated that UNS provides full support by offering facilities and resources.
“In principle, UNS fully supports Peparnas 2024 in Solo. This support includes facilities, infrastructure, and human resources,” Prof. Hartono said.
UNS’s involvement in Peparnas XVII reaffirms its commitment to being an inclusive campus, providing space and opportunities for people with disabilities. UNS’s academic community is also actively involved in coaching adaptive sports and competing as para-athletes. UNS participants have continuously achieved excellence in both national and international events.
“Our academic community contributes significantly to Peparnas, a national sports event, as well as to other international competitions,” he added.
Peparnas Venues at UNS
Several UNS venues host events for Peparnas XVII. The first is the UNS Faculty of Sports Science (FKOR) Sports Hall, located in Manahan, Banjarsari, Surakarta. Equipped with extensive facilities, this sports hall previously hosted events for the 2022 ASEAN Para Games.
For Peparnas XVII, the FKOR Sports Hall hosts Boccia, a precision sport where players aim to throw balls as close as possible to a target. Designed specifically for wheelchair-using athletes with physical disabilities, Boccia resembles curling but is played on a flat surface.
The second venue is UNS Stadium, located on the UNS Kentingan Campus. With facilities suited to major events, UNS Stadium was considered a support venue for the 2021 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The stadium has a high-quality grass field and spectator stands on both the west and east sides.
UNS Stadium will be the venue for CP Football, a modified version of soccer designed for athletes with Cerebral Palsy (CP), a neurodevelopmental condition affecting coordination and movement. The sport enables individuals with CP to play soccer with specific adaptations to meet their physical needs.
The third venue is the UNS Sports Hall (GOR UNS), which regularly hosts various indoor events and national championships. In 2022, it served as one of the venues for the ASEAN Para Games held in Solo.
During Peparnas XVII, GOR UNS hosts Goalball, a team sport specifically designed for athletes with visual impairments, including those with total blindness or very limited sight. This unique and challenging sport requires players to rely on hearing and technique rather than sight, as each team aims to score by throwing a ball into the opposing team’s goal.
Finally, the UNS Auditorium, also known as the G.P.H. Haryo Mataram UNS Building, hosts Para Taekwondo. This adapted form of Taekwondo is designed for athletes with physical impairments. In Para Taekwondo, athletes must have both functional legs, and strikes to the head are prohibited. Only athletes with physical impairments, such as muscle power limitations, athetosis, limb deficiency, or arm ataxia, are eligible to compete.
Through its full commitment to Peparnas XVII, UNS demonstrates its dedication to promoting inclusivity and supporting the achievements of athletes with disabilities, both in Indonesia and on the international stage.
Humas UNS
Reporter: R. P. Adji
Editor: Dwi Hastuti
