Paser Regency is the southernmost region in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is boarded by West Kutai Regency and North Paser Penajam Regency to the north, Makassar Strait to the east, South Kalimantan Province to the south and Central Kalimantan to the west. The capital of Paser Regency is Tana Paser, which can be reached by a three-hour road trip from Nusantara Capital City (IKN), and the city of Balikpapan.
Paser is currently led by a physician, Fahmi Fadli, who is also a table tennis player. This year, Fahmi took a bold step by organizing an international event, named Paser International Table Tennis Championship (PITTC) 2026, held from July 20 to 26, 2026 at Sadurengas Sport Hall (GOR) in Paser. This championship drew 150 table tennis players from 26 clubs across the country.
In addition, 17 athletes from six countries also competed. They hailed from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, India, and Cambodia. Some of these athletes are renowned table tennis world champions. Most of them succeded in advancing to the semifinals and finals in their respective categories.
The men’s single category was won by Oh Minseo of South Korea, who defeated Muhammad Bima Abdi Negara from PTM Arwana Jaya Jakarta in a fierce five-set final. Both players are well-known in the table tennis world. Oh Minseo is a 2025 US Open gold medalist (Las Vegas), while Bima is a SEA Games silver medalist (Thailand), also in 2025.
Now let’s look at the women’s singles category. The winner is Kotomi Omoda from Japan. She was previously a finalist for the 2025 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in Japan. In the final of the 2026, she defeated Aarti Chaudary of India with a score 3-1.
In another category, namely duo mix team, the finalist pair of Oh Minseo and Kotomi Omoda representing Paser Table Tennis Association, had to settle for runner-up spot after loosing the final to The Philippine duo of Jann Mari Nayre and Kheith Rhynne Cruz. Nayre, ranked 328th in the world as of April 21, 2026, defeated Minseo 3-1. Meanwhile, Cruz arrived in Paser with an impressive reputation, having been the top-ranked female table tennis player in the Philippines in 2023.
In addition to those names, PITTC 2026 also featured Ismu Harianto, an Indoensian Olympian who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At this PITTC, Ismu was partnering with Regent Fahmi Fadli to compete in the 100+ veteran doubles game. In the same category, spectators could also witness a stunning table tennis performance by Deddy Dacosta, who was playing alongside his wife, Putri Septi Naulina Hasibuan. Deddy is a gold medalist from three consecitive SEA Games: Singapore (1993), Chiang Mai (1995) and Jakarta (1997).
At this PITTC 2026, we could also witness outstanding performance from several renowned table tennis players. Notable names include M. Gilang Maulana and Ni Kadek Anis Nirmala Dewi from PTM Akhyar Bekasi, Rina Sintya from SIM Sport Lampung, Mohamad Hashri Fikri bin Mohamad Taupik and Zoe Tow Xiao Fang from Melaka, Malaysia. There are also prominent players from Onic Sport, PB Pelatnas, Namirah Balikpapan, and many others.
According to Fahmi, the PITTC, also some big events currently being held in Paser, aim to promote sport tourism program. This program is expected to attract a large number of visitors to Paser while supporting regional development, including economic growth. Additionally, another international event was also held in Paser, namely paragliding competition. Participating athletes came from across the country and abroad, including from Germany, Ukraine and Switzerland.
In November 2026, Paser will host the eighth East Kalimantan Sports Week. Consequently, the staging of PITTC and international paragliding competition along with several other major events over the past two years are also aimed to provide valuable experience to Paser’s athletes as they prepare to compete in the November 2026 games.
Through this event, Paser has set four primary objectives: successfully hosting the games, achieving competitive success, growing economy and ensuring administrative governance fits regulations. Paser strives to provide the best for the guests, namely encompassing service, performance, accommodation and catering, while creating a positive impression. Regarding the competition and match outcomes, the host is determined to fight till the very end. This will be a golden opportunity to improve upon the ranking achieved at the 7th Sport Weeks in Berau four years ago.
Given the strong link between economic growth and sport tourism, the last objective is also of great importance. Substantial money has been-and will continue to be-allocated in this sport competition. Therefore, it essential to ensure that these funds are used for their intended purposes and that all parties, government as the owner and organizing committee as the user, are protected against future legal sanctions.
Paser, East Kalimantan Timur, July 28, 2026