Arya Sinulingga officially elected to lead North Sumatra PSSI

Medan (ANTARA) – Arya Sinulingga was unanimously elected chair of PSSI North Sumatra for the 2026–2030 term at an extraordinary congress held at the Raja Inal Siregar Hall, North Sumatra Governor’s Office, Medan, on Monday.

After his election, Arya said his responsibilities had grown. Having previously served as acting chair of PSSI North Sumatra, he must now ensure the organisation’s programmes are better directed and reach every part of the province.

He said football development should not focus solely on senior players, but should also produce high-quality footballers through training that begins at an early age.

He said development efforts should be carried out throughout North Sumatra’s 33 regencies and cities, alongside the reactivation of age-group competitions so children have regular opportunities to play.

“It is not possible to produce high-quality players instantly. Youth competitions are an important part of identifying and developing talent. With regular opportunities to compete, players’ potential in various areas can be monitored from an early stage,” he said.

Arya also said he wanted to develop high-quality referees capable of reaching the international level.

To achieve this, support from local governments is essential to ensure football development programmes run effectively across the regencies and cities.

“We hope local governments can also support us, because this is something positive for the regions as well,” Arya said.