The Minister of Youth and Sports, Erick Thohir, has called on the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) to create a strategic plan for the advancement of basketball in the country in order to prioritize the sport for the 2028 Olympics.
He mentioned during the opening of Perbasi’s regional boards in Jakarta that Indonesian basketball has been steadily improving ever since the men's national team won its first SEA Games silver medal in Malaysia in 2001.
He commended Perbasi for guiding Indonesia to a gold medal in the men's basketball event at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, and securing another gold with the women's team at the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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The minister pointed out Indonesia's successful hosting of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as evidence of Perbasi's strong organizational abilities and quality.
He stressed that basketball in Indonesia has developed into a professional sport that is not influenced by political interests, all thanks to the commitment of people working hard to promote the sport.
Thohir emphasized the significance of teamwork and cooperation to promote the sustained growth of basketball in the nation.
He stated that the government is dedicated to providing support for all sports, specifically focusing on 17 prioritized disciplines to be determined in an upcoming ministerial decree.
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“I hope that basketball will make it onto the list of core sports. But to achieve that, the association must show seriousness in developing the discipline,” he said.
He clarified that the list is being created in accordance with plans to meet goals at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and President Prabowo Subianto's vision for the development of national sports.
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“As Minister of Youth and Sports, I guarantee transparency and avoid partiality,” he remarked, calling on all national federations to intensify efforts to improve achievements and performance.