“The Asian Games is our benchmark now, no longer the SEA Games,” said Luhut in his speech after being officially re-elected by acclamation as Chairman of PB PASI for the 2025–2029 term during the 2025 PASI Congress held in Solo, Central Java, on Saturday.
He noted that Indonesian athletics had made significant progress at the Southeast Asian (SEA) level, securing 7 golds, 3 silvers, and 9 bronzes at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
Looking ahead, Luhut emphasized that Indonesia must aim to compete and achieve success at the Asian Games level.
“The SEA Games is just a stepping stone to the Asian Games. That, I believe, will be our target for the 2025–2029 term,” he said.
To that end, PASI will focus its preparations on specific athletics events that have higher potential to deliver results at the Asian level.
Luhut made it clear that PASI would no longer spread its resources across all events, but instead concentrate on select disciplines with strong prospects for success.
“We must focus on the events where we have an edge and a real chance of winning,” he stated.
He added that every program and every rupiah in PASI’s budget must be directed toward making Indonesian athletes faster, stronger, and more competitive on the international stage.
“I will contribute everything I can to ensure that PASI continues to improve over time, aiming for international records to be broken by our athletes,” he said.
Luhut also called on all athletics stakeholders -- at both the national and regional levels -- to work together as a unified team in pursuit of the country’s athletic goals.
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Translator: Aloysius, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Primayanti
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