Youth and Sports Minister Urges Pordasi to Develop Sport Tourism
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Youth and Sports, Erick Thohir, has encouraged the Indonesian Equestrian Sport Association (Pordasi) to develop sport tourism through various equestrian activities and competitions that hold economic potential for various regions.
“Equestrian sports can be developed into sport tourism in several areas. As the Minister of Youth and Sports, I will certainly provide leading support to ensure the foundation that allows Pordasi to continue operating,” said Erick Thohir in a written statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Erick, equestrian sports have significant opportunities to grow not only in terms of athletic achievement but also as part of a sports industry capable of attracting tourists and driving economic activity.
Consequently, he hopes that Pordasi can continue to strengthen the organisation while designing development programmes that integrate athlete training, event management, and the development of the equestrian sports industry.
The Minister commended Pordasi’s recent steps, which included the inauguration of a new headquarters and the launch of various supporting facilities and development programmes to commemorate the organisation’s 60th anniversary.
“Pordasi is truly present to provide solutions. As we can see, they have introduced their official website. Beyond the website, there are service-oriented derivatives where all stables will eventually be certified, and riders will also be certified,” the Minister noted.
He added, “There will also be an empowerment system to increase the quality standards of equine experts and foster cooperation with various parties. This is what we hope for, so I express my appreciation to Pordasi.”
In addition to industry development, Erick emphasised the importance of improving Indonesia’s equestrian achievements on the international stage. Notably, Pordasi is now included among the 21 priority sports branches following the directives of President Prabowo Subianto.
According to the Minister, this must be supported by a clear roadmap developed transparently alongside stakeholders, especially as the Asian Games, SEA Games, and the Olympics approach.
“God willing, we at the Ministry of Youth and Sports will certainly support this. Transparency is what we hope for to continue the national sports resurgence under the President’s leadership,” said Erick.
He expressed optimism that Pordasi, under the leadership of General Chairperson Aryo Djojohadikusumo, will be able to continue developing equestrian sports across the aspects of achievement, culture, and industry.