Hara and Wara, Peparnas Mascots, Symbolize Tenacity and Independence

Jayapura, InfoPublik - Mascots have become a tradition in the world of sports since 1966 when the final round of the football World Cup in England was going to be held at that time.

The 1966 World Cup Organizing Committee decided to create an icon in the anthropomorphic form to enliven a sporting event and attract many sponsors. At that time, a symbol of a lion was chosen, representing the nickname of the English national team, The Three Lions.

The lion mascot was designed by children's book illustrator Reg Hoye in July 1965 and named the mascot, Willie. The name is taken from the Director of Administration for the 1966 World Cup EK "Willie" Wilson, as quoted from Amy Lawrence’s book 1966 and Not All That.

Since then, every World Cup final event has always presented mascot figures which generally represent the endemic animals of a country. There have been 15 animals and other unique figures that have been used as World Cup official mascots.

The idea of ​​displaying a mascot was also adopted by the Olympics and other sporting events around the world, even today. Mascots since the 1990s have not only been a decoration for sporting events but also have certain meanings in life. The mascot is usually a rare animal and almost extinct or fictional character representing the spirit of the sports being competed.

The presence of the official mascot also enlivened the 2021 National Paralympic Week (Peparnas) in Papua. Like the National Sports Week (PON), the Peparnas XVI also featured endemic animals as the background for the mascot.

Peparnas selected cassowaries as its official mascot for the event taking place on 2—15 November. Cassowary, the Latin name Casuarius, was chosen because it reflects the motivation to live without giving up in any situation, responsibility, independence, and quickness to respond to every opportunity.

Male cassowaries are able to take on the role of the female to incubate eggs and raise their young. They are able to communicate with low-frequency voices. Unlike birds in general, adult cassowaries can grow to body size of up to 1.5 meters and weigh up to 60 kilograms.

A cassowary cannot fly like any other bird because its wings are much smaller than its body. These animals inhabit many forest areas in the mountains of Papua.

These limitations are compensated with the structure of a large and sturdy pair of legs. A cassowary has three claws resembling large and sharp claws on the toes, enabling them to run fast at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour through the thick forest to avoid predators.

Cassowary's stocky legs are also a very powerful weapon to kick the bullies. Its large feet are often used to jump over 1.5-meter-wide gaps. It also uses them as the most reliable paddle tool when swimming down rivers or the sea. Cassowary has a kind of horn on its head to protect it from tree wood obstacles when running in the grove of trees.

Almost all tribes in Papua living in the mountains or the coast have their names for cassowaries. The Tobati people, the indigenous people of Jayapura City, call it Htwar, while the Asei Tribe in Jayapura Regency calls it Augangge. Cassowary feathers are dense and dominated by black color that is often used as traditional accessories of the two tribes.

The Peparnas Grand Committee has a unique way of featuring cassowaries as an official mascot. They named the male cassowary mascot Hara and named the female mascot Wara. This name was taken from the combination of the cassowary's names in the Tobati and Asei tribes.

Both are depicted wearing uniforms with the motif of the number 16 which reflects the implementation of the 16th National Peparnas. Small size noken is hanging on their chests. Noken is a traditional Papuan bag made of wood fiber and is named an intangible world cultural heritage by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Not only mascots, but elements of local culture such as the traditional honai house and tifa musical instruments enliven the 2021 Peparnas. "Sehati Mencapai Tujuan, Ciptakan Prestasi" (“One Heart Reaching Goals to Create Achievements”) is the central theme of Peparnas. Hopefully, the presence of Hara and Wara will be able to enliven the first Peparnas held in the easternmost province of Indonesia. Torang Bisa!

Writer: Anton Setiawan
Editor: Elvira Inda Sari/Siti Chodijah
Translator: Irvina Falah