Ministry unveils plan to nurture young talent
Ministry unveils plan to nurture young talent
CIANJUR, West Java (JP): The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports yesterday unveiled a new initiative in its painstaking effort to nurture national talent by setting up branch offices in the country's 27 provinces.
Minister Hayono Isman said in a seminar held by the National Sports Council that he will consult the Ministry of Home Affairs to realize the plan, which is expected to start next year.
"The offices will be authorized to supervise sports development, especially sport facilities, in their respective provinces," Hayono said.
Jakarta and North Sulawesi are the only two provinces to have sports offices. "Now Central Java and Irian Jaya have thrown their weight fully behind the idea," said Hayono.
He suggested that the new offices cooperate with their counterparts from the Ministry of Education and Culture in mobilizing more students to participate in sports.
So far the Ministry of Education and Culture has taken the jobs solely, but failed to create a conducive atmosphere for the burgeoning young talent, Hayono said.
"We rule the badminton world, but ironically we don't have a student competition on home soil," he said.
The situation, he continued, is quite different from Russia, where all students are interested in learning chess, or the United States, where children have a regular basketball tournament.
"Maybe we should hold a prestigious badminton championship for students with the President himself presenting the trophy," Hayono said.
As a pilot project, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports will introduce pentathlon and triathlon competitions for elementary and junior high school students in Manado, North Sulawesi, next June.
Sports centers
Hayono insisted that schools should teach students basic sports such as track and field, gymnastics and swimming. Other sports, like badminton or soccer, are secondary as far as the schools' ability to provide facilities.
"We will probably need a ministerial decree to justify the teaching of priority sports in schools," he said.
Meanwhile, Mangombar Ferdinand Siregar said in his written speech that the sports council should apply a multi-polar sports development program by maximizing the potency of each province.
"The setting up of sport centers throughout this country is based on the historical values of the respective areas, their achievements in the National Games and the available science and technology," Siregar said.
Citing examples, he said that boxing centers could be built in North Sumatra, Bali, Maluku and Irian Jaya, recently the outstanding boxing powerhouses in the country.
Science and technology play their role in recommending sports that fit people with certain biological, psychological and environmental aptitudes.
Siregar said that such a big plan needs supporting measures: an improved management system, a long-term training program, talent scouting, better facilities, a competition program, the development of science and technology, a sports census and improved supervision.
"It has been a long time coming, but we have never even tried to make it come true. It's up to the council how to imply the idea," he said. (05)