Reporting from the Frontlines of PON XXI: A Journey in National Sports Journalism
From local field to the national stage 🎤
It was an honor to serve as the sole female representative from TVRI North Sumatra for PON XXI Aceh-Sumut 2024. Covering Indonesia’s largest multi-sport event, after a 71-year hiatus, was more than a job — it was a masterclass in resilience and excellence.
Excellence in live broadcasting is rarely a stroke of luck, it is the result of immense effort and the grit to handle harsh critiques every single day.
My career path has been defined by these challenges, reporting local news for national station 2–3 times a week. In 2024, this journey reached a new milestone. I was chosen to represent TVRI North Sumatra for Pekan Olahraga Nasional (PON) XXI Aceh-Sumut. Organized by the National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI), this quadrennial event is the pinnacle of Indonesian sports, involving all athletes from 38 provinces.
Breaking Barriers as a Representative
As the only female journalist representing my office, I worked closely with TVRI National and TVRI Sport teams from Jakarta. Over the course of 14 days, I covered a rigorous rotation of disciplines, including billiards, swimming, martial arts, and volleyball.
Highlights of the Assignment
I reported live and conducted a joint interview with four key people, followed by a private session with the Representative of Governor of North Sumatra, Agus Fatoni.
Immersed myself in the technical rules of swimming and volleyball to provide insightful, accurate commentary for a national audience.
To meet the demands of the JURNAL PON daily series, I wrote scripts in the car during my way back to Media Center and also dubbed it.
The Turning Point: The Volleyball Final
The peak of my assignment was the women’s volleyball final between West Java and East Java. Reporting live from volley stadium — surrounded by the "Fireball" anthem. Witnessing the East Java team’s victory while managing the hectic pace of live news was a career-defining moment.