Deputy IV of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Chandra Bakti, emphasized that it was time to select national athletes based on a test to compete in the international event.
"So far, the selection is based on data and track records of achievements, but in future, it must be really measurable through a series of tests and measurements,” Bakti noted on Thursday.
By doing so, athletes, who partake in the National Training Center (Pelatnas), had met the established standards, he added.
This step is important since the country had already prepared the National Sports Grand Design that aimed at sending athletes to the Olympics level.
Moreover, the grand design had been stipulated in Law Number 11 of 2022 on Sports and Presidential Regulation Number 86 of 2021 regarding the Grand Design of National Sports (DBON).
With that regulation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has decided that the SEA Games event will become a stepping stone for Indonesian athletes to compete in the Olympics.
"This is a starting point since the correct coaching process cannot be seen in the short term. At least it will take 10 thousand hours or 10 years, so it can be seen in 2032 or according to Indonesia's desire to host the Olympics," Bakti remarked.
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Meanwhile, General Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Raja Sapta Oktohari said his side had implemented a new system in selecting national athletes to compete in the Sea Games in Vietnam on May 12-23, 2022.
"All athletes participating in the SEA Games are the results of the monitoring team's selection. This is a new mechanism that many parties are not familiar with," Oktohari remarked.
At the Vietnam SEA Games, the Indonesian contingent only comprised 499 athletes and 214 officials, half of Indonesia's strength while participating in the previous SEA Games.
This demonstrates the seriousness of various parties to focus on clocking achievements at the world level, Oktohari remarked.
"After all, the SEA Games are at the regional level, the Asian Games are at the continental level and the Olympics are at the world level," he noted.
Oktohari believes it is possible for Indonesia to become the best in the world ranking since the country's population is ranked fourth worldwide.
However, it does not mean that Indonesia has not given due attention to the SEA Games since the sporting event in Southeast Asia offers a medium for the 11 member countries to strengthen cooperation in various fields, including sports, he concluded.
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Translator: Dolly Rosana, Resinta S
Editor: Suharto
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