Minister of Youth and Sports and Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Sign MoU on Sports Development and Youth Talent Synergy
Indonesia’s Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Erick Thohir signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti to strengthen collaboration in sports development and character building for students.
The signing took place at the Situation Room of Building A of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March.
Erick expressed appreciation for the ministry’s commitment to promoting education that focuses not only on academic achievement but also on the physical and mental health of students. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate the fact that you, as minister, have a vision, policy and commitment where you want primary, secondary and senior high school students to not only excel academically but also be healthy—healthy in body and spirit,” Erick said.
He viewed the collaboration as aligned with the government’s policy direction outlined in the President’s Asta Cita (Eight Pillars), which places youth character building and sports advancement as important components of national development. “This aligns with what we recently presented at Bappenas, where the President’s Asta Cita emphasises that our youth should be of strong character and our sports should not only be a symbol of national pride but also reflect our national strength,” he added.
According to Erick, several flagship programmes from both ministries will be synergised, including various student sports activities that have been running. “We can see these programmes being coordinated—both involving athletes and the industry, but also many programmes we collaborate on that have not been maximised, such as the Student Sports Week, the O2SN (Olympic Solidarity Scheme for Students) and so on, which are important parts of future education development,” he explained.
He emphasised that the collaboration is not merely ceremonial but is expected to be implemented concretely through various joint programmes. “These programmes will form a unified whole and are not just symbolic but truly implementable together. Once again, I express my gratitude, and this MoU was processed very quickly, which is something we should learn within our own organisations,” he said.
Erick also hopes that the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education will continue to provide input on sports programme development, given the educational infrastructure support the ministry possesses. “Hopefully, with good intentions and your guidance, not just today but in the future, all my teams and your teams are welcome to be called upon. This is an important part for us to continue the targets set by the government,” he concluded.