“We initially prepared more athletes, but after four rounds of review by the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ Deputy IV and Assistant Deputies, six were selected,” PBJI Chairman Dedy Triharjanto said in Kudus, Central Java, on Saturday.
The national ju-jitsu team’s preparation involves a total of 13 people, including athletes, coaches, and support staff.
Triharjanto noted that not all sports receive the same opportunity to send athletes to the region’s largest multi-sport event.
Selection criteria are strict, requiring athletes to have both international experience and domestic championship success.
“Athletes must hold two tickets. They must be champions internationally and nationally,” he said.
A final review at the end of October may allow additional athletes to join the team.
Triharjanto added that government support, including from President Prabowo Subianto, has been strong for sports preparing for the 2025 SEA Games.
Of the six selected athletes, three are from East Java, two from West Java, and one from Jakarta.
They will compete in various weight classes, as SEA Games categories are divided by weight. Should more athletes be added, winners of the 2025 Kudus Martial Arts National Games will be prioritized for selection.
PBJI remains confident of meeting its target of two gold medals and strengthening Indonesia’s position in Southeast Asian ju-jitsu.
Regarding medal targets, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) will gather all national federations to review prospects.
“We want federations to present honestly about their training results and medal potential,” said Surono, Deputy for Sports Achievement, on October 21.
Indonesia aims to maintain its third-place ranking from the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, where it won 87 gold medals.
This year, Thailand has cut many events, including 41 in which Indonesia previously excelled, leaving the ministry to reassess medal opportunities across 48 sports under national training programs.
“Only the best athletes prepared by their federations in the national training camps will be sent,” Surono said, adding that federations may also send athletes independently if they have medal potential.
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Translator: Akhmad N, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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