The vibrant atmosphere of the XVIII Pekan Olahraga Mahasiswa Nasional (POMNAS) held on November 13 – 20, 2023, at GSG Universitas Lambung Mangkurat in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan. It was a moment of pride as Naufal Aiz Dhafin Aulia, an undergraduate student majoring in Management at Universitas Terbuka (UT) Serang, achieved a gold medal in the Individual Rapid Chess category for Men. 

Representing the province of Banten, Dhafin clinched the gold after drawing a match against FM Daniel Hermawan Lumban Tobing from North Sumatra. “In the final match, I only needed a draw to become the champion,” said Dhafin. 

Dhafin surpassed the scores of George M.I.M Lamia and Yeremia Gerry, both from North Sulawesi. He expressed his hope to maintain his gold medal in the upcoming POMNAS events. Dhafin was elated and satisfied with his achievement, attributing it to the hard training he had in preparation for POMNAS XVIII 2023. 

For students, sporting achievements are considered crucial in complementing their high thinking abilities to solve problems quickly and accurately. UT encourages students to participate in POMNAS and other prestigious events in the future. 

UT hopes that students will continue to enhance their achievements, improve their study discipline, and maintain enthusiasm for training to excel in both academic and non-academic fields. Congratulations to the POMNAS winners, and may they continue to elevate their achievements, contributing to the pride and success for the nation.