RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The 2026 National Athletics Championships (Kejurnas) and the Indonesia U18 Open Championship Jakarta officially kicked off at the Rawamangun Velodrome Athletics Stadium in Jakarta on Saturday, June 27, 2026.

The event brought together around 1,000 athletes from across Indonesia, along with young athletes from four countries.

Chairman of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PB PASI) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the National Championships featured competitions in the U16, U18, and U20 age categories for both men and women. Meanwhile, the Indonesia U18 Open Championship featured athletes from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste.

According to Luhut, the participation of athletes from neighboring countries marks an important step in raising the standard of competition for Indonesian athletes. It also provides valuable experience competing on the international stage.

“For the Indonesia U18 Open, four countries are participating: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste,” he said after inaugurating the championship.

He emphasized that the current focus of national athletics development is to build competitiveness at the Asian level before aiming for higher achievements globally.

Luhut added that PB PASI is committed to expanding international participation in future events to help young Indonesian athletes become more accustomed to tougher competition. (Misni Parjiati)