Budi Wahju Soesilo, President Director of Pupuk Kaltim
Jakarta, IO – The celebrations of the 46th anniversary of Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Kaltim) featured a number of exciting activities. Pupuk Kaltim is the largest urea fertilizer producer in Southeast Asia.
After starting with the UMKM (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Fest, Pupuk Kaltim dedicated a special day on Sunday (Dec 10) to celebrate its birthday on the field through “Pupuk Kaltim Football Day”. More than a mere celebration, Pupuk Kaltim designed the activities with one goal: to develop local football skills for all kinds of people in Bontang.
With a spirit of synergy and collaboration in the activities, Pupuk Kaltim partnered with Borneo FC in the football events.
Borneo FC is the local football club of East Kalimantan, which currently sits at the top of the 2023/2024 League 1 standings. It has partnered with Pupuk Kaltim since 2022 to develop football talent and increase interest in Bontang football.
“As a company that was born and raised in Bontang, we want to consistently empower people’s lives on various fronts, including football. Bontang has long been known for its influence on national football. We hope that this activity can produce new talent and develop football potential in Bontang. We also hope that the synergy between Pupuk Kaltim and Borneo FC will have a direct impact on collaborative efforts and aspirations to improve Bontang football, through a series of events on Football Day,” said Budi Wahju Soesilo, President Director of Pupuk Kaltim.
Pupuk Kaltim Football Day is located at the Mulawarman Stadium in the Pupuk Kaltim complex. It started with a Coaching Clinic, which gathered 15 Football Schools in Bontang, with a total of 100 children participating. The football school representatives gained valuable experience through the direct transfer of knowledge, both theory and practice, from the Borneo FC coaching team. Pupuk Kaltim also distributed sports equipment and provided coaching funds for each football school worth IDR 5 million.
The “Star Wars” match was held by meeting PKT Bontang legends against Borneo FC. In its heyday in the 80s, PKT Bontang was prominent in national football. Competing for the first time at Galatama, PKT Bontang could not be underestimated, because it had also competed in the Asian Cup Winners Cup several times. In the 1999/2000 Bank Mandiri League season, PKT Bontang placed as runner-up.
A number of legendary players also played at this club, and they also took part in the “Star War” PKT Bontang Legend versus Borneo FC match; one of them was Johny Rining. Meanwhile, the Borneo FC team is filled with their current best players, such as Diego Michiels, Stefano Lilipaly, Agung Prasetyo, Komang Teguh, Taufany Muslihuddin and Ponaryo Astaman, the Main Director of Borneo FC. This fierce yet thrilling match ended with a score of 5-1 with a win for Borneo FC.
“We are very happy and grateful to be reunited on the green field with our fellow PKT Bontang players. The result is not the goal, but the teamwork and love for Pupuk Kaltim and football is what makes us enthusiastic about playing on the field. Thank you to Pupuk Kaltim for initiating this event. Hopefully, it will be a good basis for the growth of local football in Bontang,” said Johny Rining, representing the PKT Bontang legendary players. Not only did it hold a match featuring PKT Bontang legends, but Pupuk Kaltim also provided gifts for Bontang football figures who once strengthened the PKT Bontang team, such as Yudi Kuncahyo and Matuliang.
Nabil Husein Said Amin, the President of the Borneo FC Club, also welcomed the Pupuk Kaltim Football Day event. “Borneo FC and Pupuk Kaltim have enjoyed a good collaboration since 2022. We want this collaboration to have a direct impact on the development of football in Bontang in particular and East Kalimantan in general, and this event is a very good first step. Hopefully, our collaboration can produce new local talents from Bontang who can participate in national and global events in the future.”
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As the highlight of the Pupuk Kaltim Football Day event, the final of the Pupuk Kaltim Directors’ Cup tournament was held between two teams, Bontang Kuala Village versus Gunung Elai Village. The tournament, which had been running since Nov 30, was attended by amateur football teams from 15 sub-districts in Bontang City, plus one PKT FC team, which is comprised of a combination of Pupuk Kaltim employees. Despite the rain, the final match excited spectators with a final score of 3-1 with a win for the Bontang Kuala team. Remuneration is also awarded to Best Supporter, Best Coach, Top Scorer, Best Player and Best Goalkeeper.
“Pupuk Kaltim will always try to bring benefits to the community and its surroundings, one of which is football. Hopefully, with this activity, Pupuk Kaltim’s dream of producing new football talent from Bontang and East Kalimantan can come true. Just like Pupuk Kaltim’s dream of becoming global through fertilizer and petrochemicals, hopefully, the football achievements of Bontang, East Kalimantan and Indonesia can also be known to the wider world,” said Soesilo. (rp)