Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) formally inducted politician Dito Ariotedjo as the new Minister of Youth and Sports at the State Palace here on Monday.

Ariotedjo, 32, is the youngest minister to join Widodo’s Onward Indonesia Cabinet.

Earlier scheduled to take place on Wednesday (April 5, 2023), the inauguration ceremony was brought forward to Monday.

Besides Ariotedjo, the President also swore in Commissioner General Rycko Amelza Dahniel as the new head of the National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) at the ceremony.

During the ceremony, Ariotedjo and Dahniel repeated the inauguration oath recited by the President.

"By Allah, I swear that I will be loyal to the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia and will carry out all laws and regulations as straightforwardly as possible, as well as dedicate myself to the nation and the country," the two inducted officials said while taking their oath.

Presidential Decision No. 26/P of 2023 on the inauguration of Youth and Sports Minister of the Onward Indonesia Cabinet for the 2019–2014 term, signed on April 3, served as the legal basis for Ariotedjo's induction as minister.

Ariotedjo replaced Zainudin Amali, who resigned from office on March 2023 after being elected as deputy chairperson of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).

Before Ariotedjo's induction, the President had designated Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Cultural Affairs Muhadjir Effendy as acting youth and sports minister.

Ariotedjo is known for his active involvement in sports-related affairs. In 2021, he, along with celebrity and entrepreneur Raffi Ahmad and the CEO of Prestige Motor, co-founded Rans Sports company.

He also served as the Chef de Mission for Indonesia's contingent in the 2018 Youth Olympics in Argentina and a member of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Cycling Federation (ISSI) executive board.

He belongs to the Golkar Party and served as the party's youth wing chairperson from 2017 to 2022. Last year, he was the chairperson of Golkar’s 58th-anniversary commemoration organizing committee.

Ariotedjo has been a part of the expert team of the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs since 2022.

Related news: President has allowed me to focus on football development: Amali








Translator: Rangga Pandu AJ, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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