RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta – Sport tourism events in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta Province are increasingly attracting athletes from across Indonesia. In its third edition, the Gunungkidul Regent’s Cup Open Roller-Skating Championship, held from August 7 to 9, 2026, recorded a surge in participation, with 459 athletes taking part, including competitors from outside Java such as Banten, West Java, and South Sulawesi.

Head of the Gunungkidul Tourism, Creative Economy, Youth, and Sports Agency, Antonius Hary Sukmono, said the championship was part of a series of events commemorating the 81st anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia in Gunungkidul Regency.

“We hope this event can help develop sport tourism alongside the development of tourist destinations in Gunungkidul, combining them with sporting attractions,” he said on Friday, August 8, 2026.

According to Antonius, the competition was not only a platform for developing promising young athletes but was also expected to stimulate the local economy through tourism; micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and the hotel industry, under the theme The Vibe of Paradise. “This event can bring in tourists and introduce Gunungkidul at the national level,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

Chairperson of the organizing committee for the 2026 Gunungkidul Regent’s Cup III Open Roller-Skating Championship, Erfanto Linangkung, explained that a new competition venue was being used this year. A newly developed road in the Sepanjang Beach area, located in Kemadang Village, Tanjungsari Subdistrict, was being used as a 100-meter roller-skating drag-race track for the Standard and Speed classes.

“Our goal in holding this event at Sepanjang Beach is to advance and further promote Gunungkidul’s tourist destinations through the sport tourism concept,” he said.

According to Erfanto, using the Sepanjang Beach road as a competition venue represented a new concept this year. In the previous two editions, the championship was always centered at the roller-skating track in the parking area of Sapi Siyonoharjo Market in Logandeng. This year’s event deliberately combined two venues, with the Sepanjang Beach road being used for the 100-meter sprint event.

“The use of the Sepanjang Beach road for the 100-meter sprint was designed to give athletes a new competition experience while also supporting the accelerated development of the regional tourism sector,” he said.

The national-level event was attended by 459 athletes from 45 clubs across seven provinces: South Sulawesi, Banten, Jakarta Province, West Java, East Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta Province. The participant who traveled the farthest came directly from Makassar to compete in Gunungkidul.

“We hope that holding the event at two venues for the first time will encourage even greater participation in the future,” said Erfanto.

He said the number of participants had increased compared with the previous edition. While the event attracted approximately 300 athletes last year, participation rose to 459 athletes this year across the Speed and Standard classes.

The participants were divided into various age groups, ranging from Category A for children aged 5 to 7 to the Senior/Junsen category for athletes aged 19 and above. ***