Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia has the potential to cooperate with Germany in the development of sports science, Minister of Youth and Sports Dito Ariotedjo said on Monday following his visit to Germany.

He said that during the visit, he held a meeting with the German Parliament's Sports Committee Group Coordinator Philipp Hartewig and Committee Member Stephan Mayer.

"The meeting aimed to discuss the potential cooperation between Indonesia and Germany in the area of sports science," Ariotedjo said in Jakarta.

The meeting also discussed the potential for friendly matches between Indonesia and Germany in several sports, such as football, volleyball, and basketball.

Ariotedjo noted that as the meeting was informal in nature, efforts will be made to formalize the talks and their follow-up.

"We will continue with follow-up actions and communication. The last meeting was informal, and we will try to formalize it," the minister noted.

Indonesia has a significant opportunity to cooperate with Germany in sports science, as its development has reached an advanced stage in the country, he remarked.

"We hope this will be the beginning of sports cooperation between Indonesia and Germany," Ariotedjo stated.

Meanwhile, the minister said Indonesia was in the limelight during the visit, adding that it was even offered to host the 2027 Special Olympics World Games (SOWG).

He said that Indonesia has the potential to host the 2027 SOWG, as it is perceived as a developing and iconic country that can represent the Asia-Pacific region.

"Indonesia is deemed capable of representing Asia-Pacific. Indonesia has fulfilled criteria on event organization facilities, and Indonesia has also hosted major events several times at sports arenas with international standards," Ariotedjo remarked.

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Translator: Muhammad Ramdan, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Anton Santoso
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