Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 01:35 PM UTC

Prabowo pledges to sustain school sports, prepare future athletes

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Fathur/Aditya, Kuntum Khaira

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to sustain sports development in schools to build national character and prepare young people for the future, Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said on Thursday.

Prabowo conveyed the commitment while receiving athletes, officials, and sports association leaders at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, where he awarded bonuses to medalists from the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

Promoting sports in schools is part of efforts to strengthen the character of young people while preparing Indonesia’s human resources for the future, Erick said.

“I think this is a good message because we know that Indonesia’s young people are the nation’s future, and they need to be strengthened to build the nation’s strength in the years ahead,” he said.

The government has also begun preparing athletes for future Olympic competitions through national training camps launched earlier in the cycle, Erick said.

Several priority sports, including weightlifting, sport climbing, badminton, and archery, would begin preparations this year.

Preparations would no longer begin just six months before a competition, but much earlier, backed by multi-year funding, Erick said.

At Thursday’s ceremony, Prabowo awarded a total of Rp158.3 billion rupiah (US$8.7 million) in bonuses to medal-winning athletes and coaches from the two competitions.

Of the total, Rp61.1 billion went to Asian Games athletes and coaches, while Rp97.2 billion rupiah was allocated to those who competed in the Asian Para Games.

Indonesia won 39 medals at the 2026 Asian Games, comprising five gold, 11 silver, and 23 bronze medals. The country finished 16th in the medal standings, surpassing its target of four gold medals.

At the 2026 Asian Para Games, Indonesia secured 73 medals, including 15 gold, 21 silver, and 37 bronze, placing eighth overall and surpassing its target of seven gold medals.

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