Boost Training for Sports Qualifying for the 2026 Asian Games

The allocation scheme for the 2025 National Training Camp (Pelatnas) fund is currently a topic of discussion. The football sector once again dominates the budget, while several sports that are gold medal mines for Indonesia are forced to operate with very limited funds. Based on the latest data, the total Pelatnas 2025 fund allocation reaches Rp407.72 billion. Of that amount, the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) holds a share of Rp199.78 billion. This figure is equivalent to 49% of the total national budget for athlete development, meaning nearly half of the state funds are absorbed by just one sport. This disparity appears stark when compared to the budgets received by the five sports that contributed the most gold medals at international multi-events. Despite routinely bringing honour to the nation, their allocations are far below Rp40 billion. On the other hand, the Indonesian national football team is confirmed to have failed to qualify for the 2026 Asian Games, an event that should serve as a benchmark for development success. Conversely, sports like archery, which contributed 6 golds at the 2025 SEA Games, and athletics with 9 golds, are forced to work with minimalist budgets. Hamdi Putra from the Civil Forum Bersuara (FORSIBER) stressed the need for a total evaluation of the budget rationality at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. According to him, the state sports budget should not merely become a ‘popularity subsidy’ for certain sports. ‘Branches that produce gold are treated like accessories. Evaluation does not mean being hostile to football, but the current scheme risks being unfair and inefficient,’ Hamdi said in Jakarta on Friday (12/6). FORSIBER urges the implementation of four new indicators in budget formulation: medal track record, future medal opportunities, technical needs, and accountability. Amid the PSSI budget polemic, preparations for the 2026 Asian Games are generally facing financial obstacles. Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir stated that the Pelatnas funds for the event are only available at Rp81 billion, a sharp drop compared to the 2022 edition which reached Rp389.81 billion. Erick Thohir mentioned that the available budget in his ministry to support the Indonesian contingent for the 2026 Asian Games currently stands at Rp61 billion. ‘With the sincere efforts of all deputies present, which I appreciate, we finally continued to comb through the budget until we obtained Rp61 billion,’ Erick Thohir said during a working meeting with Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta on Tuesday (2/6/2026). Erick acknowledged that the budget requirements for the national training camp for various sports are still not ideal. Currently, the available funds to support athlete training programmes ahead of the Asian Games are only around Rp81 billion. ‘This is a very sharp decline,’ he said.