Rereading the Ontology of Sports Empowerment
ONTOLOGICALLY, sports empowerment is a dynamic field of study. This simultaneously corrects the static viewpoint that confines sports to the realm of achievement sports alone. At least two major phenomena explain why the ontology of sports empowerment is important to question. Not to oppose, but rather to position the future orientation of sports more adaptively through an essential and comprehensive lens.
These two major phenomena relate to the direction of drafting roadmaps by each local government, as many this year are beginning to design regional sports plans (DOD). The second phenomenon concerns the government’s discourse on reorganising study programmes (including sports-related programmes) in higher education to meet industry needs. Indeed, many fear that without such a connection, a programme could be closed.
EMPOWERMENT IN THE DOD FORMULA
As a response to the issuance of Ministry of Youth and Sports Regulation 15/2023 on the Procedure for Compiling DOD, every region (province/regency/city) is starting to strive for planning sports empowerment. Building sports must indeed be done with strategic planning. ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail’, an expression that failure in planning is equivalent to planning for failure. The main guarantor of the quality of planning is accuracy in determining the compass of orientation options.
If the planning is directed towards processes and products leading to sports empowerment, the most essential part is to solidify the ontology of that empowerment. The compass of orientation concerns the ‘calculation’ of philosophical meaning, particularly its ontological principles. Empowerment must be firmly defined as a systemic operational definition without anything left out or distorted. Empowerment is growing superiority that is measurable and comprehensive across multiple scopes. How to pour this into the DOD?
First, strategic planning is planning that is ensured to be aligned with higher-level major planning. DOD is needed to plan specific steps for a region in realising the National Sports Master Plan (DBON). DBON itself is a major policy outlined in Presidential Regulation 86/2021. As the ‘general guidelines for national sports’, DBON serves as the orientation compass containing a triple improvement, namely 1) sports culture in society, 2) world-class national achievements, and 3) sports-based economy.
Brightening the future of sports by design is carried out by every region referring to ‘local strengths possessed’. Each region has specific values in achieving the aforementioned triple improvement. Empowerment is a capacity that contains an orientation to advance sports culture and education, potential achievements in certain sports branches, and strengthening community prosperity through sports, with formulations of the sports industry and sport tourism.
Second, the orientation of sports empowerment is multi-scoped, meaning sports empowerment covers the realms of educational sports, achievement sports, and community sports. The definition of sports scopes has long experienced ontological distortions. Parties that ‘highly idolise the achievement sports scope’ consider educational sports and community sports as ‘non-achievement’ sports scopes. Unknowingly, this seems to create a new dichotomy between achievement and non-achievement.
Ontological distortion results in a collectively distorted mindset in conceptualising sports empowerment. When the spirit of strengthening achievements and competitiveness is made a jargon for progress, a caste system emerges within the sports scope. Sports are interpreted within the realm of achievement sports in and of itself. The consequence is a policy barrier that will favour certain scopes.
DOD stops and is merely interpreted as determining sports branches that ‘must’ be prioritised. There is a high potential for disharmony opportunities horizontally between branches or between scopes. Even possibly between stakeholders or communities.
Third, DOD is compiled as strategic planning with the spirit of ‘no one left behind’. That spirit is a universal one as declared by the UN through the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) plan. Strengthened by the Kazan Action Plan (2017).
Sports are empowered because they make real contributions to ensuring a sustainable life for planet Earth. Sports empowerment is not limited to empowerment in venues or arenas, but also deals with the environment, economy, and social aspects.
SCIENTIFIC INVESTMENT
Sports empowerment ontologically becomes the compass for mid- and long-term sports development. Various forms of participation and contribution are needed to realise it. Even certain investments are required to foster acceleration. Investments, both financial and non-financial, are equally needed to determine the level of success in achievement.
Scientific investment through the role of the academic world becomes a ‘specific homework’ to unleash more pragmatic impacts. Strengthening the acceptance of roles that connect the academic, vocational, and professional worlds with the new orientation of the working world.
First, scientific investment is realised in the form of evidence-based policy in the roles of education, research, and community service (Tri Dharma of Higher Education). Roles led by various sports-related study programmes in a higher education institution (across faculties) referring to the ontology of sports empowerment.
Sports-related programmes place the ‘triple improvement’ as the central theme of productivity, while positioning the formula of sports culture, sports achievements, and sports economy as