Erick Thohir and John Herdman Meet Prabowo, Discuss Athlete Development
President Prabowo Subianto wants to give special attention to the development of athletes with disabilities. This was conveyed by Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir after reporting on a number of sports programmes to the President at his residence in Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java, on Friday (19/6/2026). On that occasion, Erick was also accompanied by the head coach of the Indonesian national football team, John Herdman.
According to Erick, Prabowo believes that athletes with disabilities must be given equal opportunities and support in developing their potential. He noted that there are 23.9 million people with disabilities in Indonesia, 11 per cent of whom are keen on sports. “This means the President wants to encourage that these disabled sportsmen and women are truly given attention,” Erick told reporters after the meeting.
He said one of the programmes being pushed is coaching certification for people with disabilities, so that they have the opportunity to become coaches once their athletic careers are over. “Therefore, the President also wants to see disabled athletes and will even visit Karanganyar to see the National Paralympic Committee (NPC), which has not yet been inaugurated. This is an important part of ensuring we give all Indonesian citizens equal opportunities. That is what the President conveyed,” said Erick Thohir.
Secondly, Erick said the meeting also touched on a long-term strategy for national sports development. He requested the President’s support regarding funding certainty for national training camps, which require a multiyear budget scheme. “And the President immediately said, ‘I support it’. The State Secretary and Cabinet Secretary will immediately follow up. Because a national training camp cannot be budgeted on an annual basis; it must be multiyear,” he stated.
This is needed to prepare athletes for international sporting events such as the Olympics and the upcoming SEA Games and Asian Games, as preparation for these events must be carried out over a long period. Furthermore, Erick said the President is also paying attention to the development of athletes from a young age through a plan to build a national sports academy. The academy will cover schooling from primary to senior high level. “So, future athletes will be nurtured from the age of 8 to 10 years old,” he said.
Additionally, the government is formulating a pension fund scheme for athletes as part of efforts to improve their welfare after retirement. “The President again asked about the athletes’ pension fund, which we are still working on in terms of future preparations. That is what I can convey regarding the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ preparations,” Erick concluded.