PPI INDEPENDENCE DAY ANGRAVI

In the seclusion of the badminton court on 15th of August 2026, PPI Monash hosted a wonderful event celebrating the anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. Our committee members helped prepare the event early on and not much later, guests of around thirty people arrived to join alongside us to commemorate Indonesia in a series of games and a flag ceremony. 

After days of preparation, the event started with the traditional upacara bendera, where everyone gathered in lines and saluted the Indonesian flag being raised as they sang the national anthem and prayed for the prosperity of the country. We also recited the five principles of Pancasila to remind ourselves of our country’s values. Afterwards, the event properly started with PPI’s president giving a speech to welcome all participants and the MC warming things up with a crossword puzzle to break the ice and stir the participants’ competitive energy! There were so many out-of-pocket answers from the crossword that one participant said, “The jokes were kind of cheesy, not gonna lie. Some of us barely get it, but when the answers were announced, it made a lot more sense,”

Moving on from the icebreaker, teams of six were separated into three different posts, each consisting of two teams who’ll compete against each other in a game! Each post hosted a different game often played by Indonesian kids during Independence day. The first game, Estafet Balon had teams form a line and try to pass around two cups stuck together using balloons. How do you use balloons to move around a cup? By inflating them, of course! Members should pass around the cups by inflating their balloons on one side until it gets stuck in one cup, while the next person in line tries to take the cup by inflating their own balloon! Many teams were fast, some not so much. As punishment for losing the game, they have to act as face for PPI and do a popular tiktok dance to be shared to the public.

The next game, Water Rush, involved a team carrying a cup of water using only tali raffia. Their goal was to move the cup as fast as they could and make it to the finish line before the other team. This simple game prompted a lot of teamwork and stability for each team. Some managed to make it to the end ‘slow and steady’ style, while others spilled so much water that they had to restart!

The third post is a staple amongst all Independence day celebrations, Tarik Tambang! This one’s a classic where two teams compete against each other in pulling a rope until the flag at the center gets pulled onto a team’s side! It was a tough match, as many complained about the hot weather in which the game took place. But some people – mostly boys – also enjoyed the vigorousness of the game, mixing physical energy and heated competition to make the games more entertaining.

After competing in a series of fun minigames, it’s time for the big finale! The final game has teams searching for different colored balls by completing tasks in different posts. This time, there are five posts, each only able to host one team to finish the task, with the exception of one post able to host two. There’s a catch though, as when you’re outside the post searching for balls, our committees will try and chase you around and tag you to ensure you lose points! It’s a tough challenge, one that requires coordination and good teamwork. The atmosphere was so chaotic, you could practically hear the screams from inside the badminton court! “It was the highlight of the day for me,” says one participant from team Tan Malaka. “I’m not usually an ‘exercise’ person, but I loved answering the questions and the atmosphere was so thrilling that I honestly didn’t care how tired I was,”

Some didn’t share the same sentiment, hence after a long day of playing games, our committee decided to reward the participants with some delicious donuts to take a breather! The cool atmosphere of the badminton court also helped with the relaxation, with some agreeing that future events should take place here again just because of the AC. 

Finally comes the end of our event, where we announced the winners of the PPI Independence Day Angravi event! You can check our instagram highlight at @ppimonash_my to find out our winners, but long story short the event was a blast from beginning to end. Though some participants complained about the hot weather outside, ultimately most enjoyed the event and are willing to attend another PPI-hosted event! So if you’re one of those people, be sure to keep updated through our instagram and whatsapp group! Here’s to another successful event from PPI and a Happy Independence Day!