... Only through sports can military members understand efforts, spirits, and values of togetherness... "Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Yudhoyono has expressed hope that military members worldwide would always contribute to the creation of global peace through various means including sports.
"As a non-profit organization, CISM (Counseil International du Sport Militaire) formed after World War Two has encouraged global cooperation and peace," he said as he opened the CISM General Assembly here on Monday.
Since it was formed six decades ago, CISM has evolved into an organization pursuing cooperation among military members from all over the world to cooperate with and understand one another through military sports, he said.
He noted some areas of cooperation that could be developed through military sports cooperation, such as in finding sports talent among military members and encouraging the development of sports in general.
"Only through sports can military members understand efforts, spirits, and values of togetherness," he said.
He added, "military can also be used as sports to promote peace". "Military sports can also encourage gender equality," he said.
More importantly, military sports can help improve the quality of military members' physical fitness, he said.
CISM now has 133 member countries.
Also present at the opening ceremony were National Defense Forces chief Admiral Agus Suhartonon, Education and Culture Minister Muhammad Nuh, CISM Chief for Indonesia Maj. Gen. Hambali Hanafiah, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi and Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam.
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Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
