Celebrating 67 Years of Excellence, UMS Champions Athlete Growth at MVC 2025

The sports hall at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) Campus II became the venue for a series of sporting events commemorating the university’s 67th anniversary. Among them was the Muhammadiyah Volleyball Competition (MVC), one of 13 external competitions organized to enliven the celebration.

A total of 22 teams, consisting of 16 boys’ and 6 girls’ teams from various senior high schools (SLTA) across Central Java, took part in the tournament. This year’s anniversary carries the theme “Transformative, Progressive, Sustainable, and Driving Change.” Through MVC, UMS aims to strengthen public trust while continuously fostering young athletic talent from the high school level.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Anam Sutopo, M.Hum., Chairman of the 67th UMS Anniversary Committee, reflected on the university’s journey in producing quality graduates grounded in Islamic values. “UMS has grown tremendously, and alhamdulillah, every year the university continues to serve the nation,” he said on Friday (3/10/2025).

The event also reaffirmed UMS’s long-term commitment to advancing both academic and non-academic excellence through achievements at national and international levels. Prof. Anam noted that the Physical Education (Penjas) study program remains the only program of its kind among private universities in Indonesia to hold an “Excellent” accreditation status. He added that for the past nine years, Penjas has consistently contributed to UMS sporting achievements.

“The most recent achievement recorded by UMS was its participation in the National Student Sports Week (POMNAS), representing Central Java (Jateng), where UMS also served as the host for the pencak silat competition. The UMS Penjas team helped Jateng secure the overall championship title,” said Anam.

Anam also mentioned that UMS offers merit-based scholarships, including those for non-academic achievements. The university provides full scholarships to outstanding students, particularly those who excel in sports.

The Muhammadiyah Volleyball Competition took place at the sports hall of UMS Campus II.

In line with the university’s commitment to supporting outstanding students, Dr. Pungki Indarto, S.Pd., M.Or., Head of the Quality Assurance Unit of the Physical Education Department, emphasized that UMS also grants awards to high school students who win in the MVC by waiving their university entrance registration fee.

“Each winning team receives a certificate, which can be used starting in November when the 2025/2026 admissions open. By presenting the winner’s certificate, they’ll be exempted from the registration fee,” he explained.

He added that the MVC serves as tangible proof of UMS’s growing impact in the field of sports achievements in the global era. In the future, the competition is planned to expand its scope to cover Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY).

“In the future, the plan will be presented to the university leadership so that the competition can reach a wider audience and have a greater impact, extending to Central Java and Yogyakarta,” Pungki hoped.

Both Anam and Pungki agreed that the MVC is not merely a sports competition but also an effective platform to foster sportsmanship and showcase students’ abilities through their achievements.

In this competition, SMA 1 Tuntang from Semarang succeeded in reaching the top eight and became the farthest-traveling participant. Tegar Ramadandi, a student from SMA 1 Tuntang, shared that this was his first time competing at UMS. He noted that UMS facilities and infrastructure were well-equipped to support the event.

Tegar expressed his hope to perform his best and win the championship. “I hope that in the coming days, I can stay consistent and bring home the victory,” Tegar said with optimism.

Writer: Roselia Puspita Asri

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid