Government mapping abandoned sports facilities for revitalisation
The Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) is currently mapping various abandoned sports facilities to be managed again and utilised for the community.
Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir stated that this mapping is being conducted alongside several other ministries to ensure that sports assets built using the state budget do not decline in quality. “The fact is, not all sports facilities that have been heavily funded and built everywhere are currently abandoned. That is the people’s money,” said Erick during the Indonesia Sport Summit 2026 in Jakarta on Friday.
Kemenpora is coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant ministries to inventory facilities that are still viable for use but require renewed management. The government is also awaiting regulations from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Works so that these assets can be managed in collaboration with third parties.
“The assets already exist, but they are abandoned, and their quality declines every year. This is what we want to address; we are currently mapping them,” said Erick.
He noted that while the number of abandoned sports facilities is quite significant, the exact figure is not yet certain as data collection is still ongoing. Erick cited Gelora Bung Karno and the Bali United Academy as examples of facilities that possess good management and accessibility.
The government does not wish to construct new sports facilities without a clear utilisation plan. Erick mentioned that President Prabowo Subianto has requested that every construction of sports facilities must have a roadmap to ensure that built assets do not fall into disuse.
A similar policy is being applied to the organisation of the National Sports Week (PON), prioritising the use of existing facilities over the construction of new arenas. “There will be no construction of new facilities. Instead, we will utilise existing ones. This is important because too much public money has been wasted on unused assets,” concluded Erick.