Sports Minister urges sports federations to strengthen multiyear athlete development

Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir has urged all sports federation executives to strengthen athlete development through multiyear or continuous national training camp programmes, so that Indonesia has a strong foundation for achieving success at international events. “It is impossible to create an athlete in just six months or a year; it takes six to seven years, which is why a multiyear programme is needed,” Erick said after opening the National Athletics Championships and Indonesia Open U18 Championship in Jakarta on Saturday. He stated that President Prabowo Subianto is paying great attention to the development of national sports. In various regular meetings, one of the topics of concern is the importance of continuity in athlete development through long-term programmes. Erick appreciated the Indonesian Athletics Federation for holding the age-group national championship and the Indonesia Open, which featured participants from four countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste. The minister hopes this step can serve as an example for other sports federation executives to expand competitive opportunities for athletes through independently created international competitions.