Scoring the Goal of Unity

(Celebrating differences through Futsal)

Diversity is both wealth and backfire. Wealth because of its variousity and on the other side it is a backfire  because of its potency to trigger conflict among their differences. Many elements of society try to educate that diversity is a very valuable asset and should be the pride of the nation and state. Responding to the rampant diversity issues, Stube-HEMAT took part in maintaining intimacy and unity all Stube-HEMAT activists from various regions in Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke from Miangas to Rote Island by playing futsal at Telaga Futsal 1, Babarsari, Yogyakarta on Saturday September 21, 2019.

Sport is a choice as a means to unite everyone in one field. From sports like futsal, people can learn the importance of teamwork regardless of origin, religion, ethnicity or race. The participants who were invited welcomed enthusiastically and attended it on time starting at 16.00 WIB wearing complete costumes. Thirty three students from various regions, religions and study backgrounds participated in this sport.

The match was opened with remarks from Trustha Rembaka, S.Th, the coordinator of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, and the first kick from Rev. Em. Bambang Sumbodo, S.Th., M.Min as Stube-HEMAT board to start the futsal game officially. There were 4 futsal teams consisting of 2 men's teams and 2 women's teams, the women's team then played first with a duration of 10 minutes x 2, and 5 minutes for a break. The game went smoothly and all played happily as seen from the participants' faces, agility and spontaneous cheers from the players. They kicked the ball vigorously and kept trying to break into the opponent's goal post, finally, the score of five and two goals at the end of the women's team's match.

The men's team played in the second round and was divided into 2 teams with each team consisting of 8-10 people. Participants who played came from Halmahera, Maluku, Maybrat, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi, Sumba, Flores, Bogor, Cilacap, Bengkulu, Palembang and Lampung. Besides that they were from various campuses in Jogja such as UIN, UNPROK, ITY, UBSI, UJB, UST & STAK Marturia.

The familiarity should be maintained in the midst of diversity so that students are not easily seized by current rife hoaxes. The familiarity of the Futsal field is not just sport but teamwork to score goal of unity,  needed to build this country peaceful and comfortable for all ethnics, races, and religions. Indonesian young people are one nation having one language and one homeland with a motto ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’, diversity but one. Let's learn to collaborate with responsibility as children of nation for the glory of this country. (SAP)