JAKARTA– The Expert Staff to the Governor of South Kalimantan (Kalsel), Drs. HM Tasriq Usman, M.M.Pd., expressed his support for the Balogo Sports Festival, held at the South Kalimantan Pavilion, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Jakarta, on Sunday (December 21, 2025).
Tasriq Usman emphasized that the Balogo Festival is an important part of efforts to preserve the traditional games of the Banua people, which have been passed down for centuries.
According to him, this activity not only preserves cultural values but also revitalizes the role of the South Kalimantan Pavilion as a center of activity and culture at TMII.
“We strongly support today’s event, the Balogo Festival. This is a game from our past that is now being preserved. It also happens to be located at Taman Mini, so we want to keep Taman Mini open so it always has activities,” said Tasriq after trying out the Balogo games.
He added that the South Kalimantan Provincial Government is committed to maintaining the South Kalimantan Pavilion’s reputation as one of the best pavilions at TMII by organizing various traditional cultural and sports activities.
“We want to maintain our top-tier position in all the pavilions in Taman Mini. Activities like this really encourage the people of South Kalimantan to be more enthusiastic about visiting Taman Mini, especially the South Kalimantan Pavilion,” he said.
Tasriq also admitted to having tried Balogo firsthand and felt the enthusiasm and sense of community created by this traditional sport.
“The game is very exciting, full of camaraderie and joy. This is what makes traditional games so valuable,” he said.
Furthermore, he hopes that traditional games like Balogo will continue to be preserved and introduced to the younger generation so they are not eroded by the times.
“We must continue to preserve traditional games like this so that our children and grandchildren will always know and appreciate the unique games of South Kalimantan,” he concluded.
The Balogo Sports Festival at the South Kalimantan Pavilion is one of the cultural events that attracts visitors to TMII and serves as a means of introducing the rich culture of Banua to the wider community.
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