Medan, North Sumatra (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday inaugurated the North Sumatra Main Stadium located in Batang Kuis sub-district, Deli Serdang district, North Sumatra.
"Now, North Sumatra has a very large and grand stadium," he said. North Sumatra Governor Agus Fatoni accompanied him during the ceremony.
Widodo asked the authorities to optimize the maintenance of the stadium, which was previously used for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Aceh-North Sumatra National Sports Week (PON).
According to him, based on experience, many stadiums are not properly maintained after inauguration, so they cannot be used by the public.
"It must not occur in North Sumatra," he stressed.
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To this end, the stadium must be used by local football clubs in North Sumatra so that it can be maintained well, he said.
He then expressed the hope that with the presence of the main stadium, which was built at a budget of Rp587 billion (around US$37.7 million) sourced from the state budget, sports development can continue to improve in the province.
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"We hope that this magnificent and grand stadium will continue to be maintained, continue to be used, and be useful for sports development in North Sumatra," he said.
The North Sumatra Main Stadium has been built on an area of 48,420 square meters, with the building area spanning 27,452 square meters. It can accommodate 25,750 spectators.