Freeport-built Sports Complex Hosts Indonesian Basketball Festival

17 January 2022

PT Freeport Indonesia is helping Papuans hoop it up in the glittering $33 million house that Freeport built.

With the financial support from the company, a series of games for the Indonesian Basketball Festival was played January 7-11 at the Mimika Sports Complex in Timika, Papua.

"This is the kind of event we need to promote the sport of basketball in Papua and help develop our athletes to compete at both the national and international levels of competition,” said Agung Laksamana, Executive Vice President-External Affairs at PTFI.

The national basketball festival is part of a series of events leading to the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA) Asia Cup July 12-24.

The FIBA Asia Cup tournament takes place every four years among the men's national teams of Asia and Oceania. After Mimika, the festival will stop in four other major cities: Bali, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.

In October, the PTFI-financed and built Mimika Complex was one of four venues for the 20th Indonesian National Games held for the first time in the province of Papua. (Check out the video below of the MSC).

Freeport-built Sports Complex Hosts Indonesian Basketball Festival

“PT Freeport Indonesia is committed to the continuing development of sports programs in Papua to attract new talent who can compete at the national and international levels,” said Jonny Lingga, Vice President-Government Relations at Jobsite. “This commitment is aligned with the company’s efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles among not only our employees but also the people of our community and Indonesia.”

PTFI looks forward to promoting and supporting other sports in Papua, Laksamana added.

"Our next commitment is to help athletes in other sports, including soccer. This is significant because many gifted Papuan athletes will be able to develop their talents,” he said.