The Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC Indonesia) has utilised its\nparticipation in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in\nthe United States as an opportunity to study a comprehensive sports\necosystem. The focus of the learning included athlete development from\nan early age, organisational governance, funding, sports marketing, and\nthe role of universities in producing high-achieving athletes.<\/p>\n
NOC Indonesia Chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari stated that the United\nStates serves as a successful example of sports development. As the\nworld\u2019s third most populous nation, the US consistently competes at the\ntop of the Olympic medal table alongside China and Great Britain.\n\u2018Indonesia is a large nation with 280 million people and is the fourth\nmost populous country after the US. We have the potential, and through\nIVLP, we can see how the US builds an athlete development pathway from\nscouting, youth, junior, to elite levels, supported by a highly\ndeveloped and robust sports ecosystem and industry,\u2019 Oktohari said on\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Oktohari, along with nine other NOC Indonesia delegates, participated\nin the IVLP in the United States from 18 to 29 June 2026. The delegation\nincluded Treasurer Tommy Hermawan Lo, Executive Committee members\nJosephine Tampubolon, Krisna Bayu, and Greysia Polii, Deputy Secretary\nGeneral Cresida Mariska, Team Indonesia Director Richard Sam Bera,\nSafeguarding Officer Tabitha Charmaine Sumendap, Project Strategist Tara\nTalitha, and Media and Public Relations Consultant Brigitha Sesilya.<\/p>\n
Oktohari noted that a key lesson from the programme is that sporting\nachievement cannot be attained through a fragmented approach. An\nintegrated and sustainable system is required for optimal athlete\ndevelopment. \u2018The US builds sports as a tiered ecosystem, including the\ninvolvement of universities as a talent pipeline for the national team\nthrough the NCAA. This development concept can also be adopted in\nIndonesia. Moreover, President Prabowo has a mission to advance the\nworld of sports and has given positive signals for long-term national\ntraining centre development. What we gained from the IVLP will be\nreported directly to Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir, so that\ngood and relevant concepts can be studied, adapted, and implemented\naccording to the needs and characteristics of Indonesian sports,\u2019 he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
During the IVLP, the NOC Indonesia delegation visited Chicago,\nIndianapolis, Colorado Springs, and Los Angeles. In Chicago, the group\nattended the inaugural Indonesian-American Games initiated by the\nIndonesian diaspora. In Indianapolis, they held discussions with Indiana\nUniversity Head Swimming Coach Ray Looze, visited campus sports\nfacilities, and met with Indiana Sports Corp.\u00a0In Colorado Springs, the\ndelegation held discussions with the United States Olympic &\nParalympic Committee (USOPC) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency\n(USADA), and visited the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum. \u2018From\nUSOPC, we received a lot of positive input, one of which was the funding\nmodel supported by various sources, ranging from sponsorships,\nbroadcasting rights, licensing, donations, to commercial partnerships,\nand private fundraising through foundations to attract high-net-worth\nindividuals, philanthropists, and the business community, thereby\ncreating a strong foundation of financial sustainability to support Team\nUSA,\u2019 Oktohari said.<\/p>\n
The programme concluded in Los Angeles with a visit to the University\nof California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which will serve as the athletes\u2019\nvillage for the 2028 Olympics. According to Oktohari, the American\nsports system demonstrates that universities are not only places of\nlearning but also centres for athlete development, research, sports\nscience, competition, and character building. Oktohari expressed his\nappreciation to the US Department of State, the US Embassy in Indonesia,\nand all institutions that received the NOC Indonesia delegation during\nthe programme. He expressed hope that the IVLP would mark the beginning\nof broader collaboration between Indonesia and the United States in the\nfields of sports, education, leadership, and people-to-people diplomacy.\n\u2018Sport is an instrument of national development, diplomacy, and\nlong-term investment for the younger generation. With a strong\necosystem, good governance, sustainable funding, and consistent\ndevelopment, Indonesia can build a stronger foundation towards\nworld-class achievement and the Olympics,\u2019 Oktohari concluded.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, US Embassy Spokesperson Jamie Ravetz stated that the IVLP\nprogramme is part of the US government\u2019s commitment to strengthening\ncooperation and knowledge exchange with Indonesia, including in the\nsports sector. \u2018The United States is pleased to host the IVLP programme\nfor the NOC Indonesia delegation. Sport has always been a bridge\nconnecting the people of our two countries, and we believe the insights\nand relationships forged during this programme will strengthen the\nfuture of Indonesian sports while reinforcing the long-standing\npartnership between our two nations,\u2019 said Jamie Ravetz.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/noc-indonesia-studies-us-sports-ecosystem-to-boost-performance-1783439440", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }