PB Akuatik develops talent through diaspora and student-athlete programme
The Indonesian Aquatics Federation (PB Akuatik Indonesia) is developing a two-way talent pathway in the United States by monitoring young diaspora athletes of Indonesian descent while also sending domestic athletes through a student-athlete programme.
Wisnu Wardhana, Deputy Chair I for Performance Development and Sport Science at PB Akuatik Indonesia, said the search for diaspora talent considers achievement and long-term potential, not merely Indonesian heritage.
“We are scouting the Indonesian diaspora in the United States. However, what we look at is not just that they have Indonesian blood, but also their achievements and potential,” Wisnu said when contacted from Jakarta on Thursday.
According to Wisnu, monitoring begins at a young age so that athlete development can be followed continuously before further projection. PB Akuatik has already monitored several diaspora talents for about two years, including an athlete who began being tracked at age 14 and is now around 16 years old.
“There are several we have been monitoring. One of them is now around 16 years old and we have been tracking him since two years ago. His performance has also continued to improve,” he said.
Wisnu said California is one of the regions receiving attention because it has a fairly large Indonesian community and an aquatic development ecosystem considered to be good.
In addition to seeking diaspora talent, PB Akuatik is also running a programme in the opposite direction, opening opportunities for Indonesian athletes to pursue education while undergoing sports development in the United States.
Wisnu assessed that the student-athlete system in the United States offers advantages because education and sport operate within a single ecosystem from secondary school through to university.
“In the United States, education and sport are already integrated. Athletes can train, compete, and complete their education up to university level,” Wisnu said.
According to him, the system also opens opportunities for athletes to obtain scholarships based on sporting or academic achievement.
“This year we are sending five student-athletes to the United States and all of them have received scholarships. We are starting at this level with the hope that they can continue to develop until they reach world level,” he said.
Wisnu said the two programmes complement each other. On one hand, PB Akuatik is seeking high-achieving diaspora members who have the potential to strengthen Indonesia, while on the other hand domestic talent is encouraged to obtain a more supportive training and education environment.
“The programme runs in two directions. We are looking for potential diaspora talent, but at the same time we are also providing opportunities for Indonesian athletes to develop through the education and sport system in the United States,” Wisnu said.
He expressed hope that this pattern can expand athlete development options so that training does not depend solely on domestic programmes, but also utilises sport and education ecosystems available abroad.