Indonesia and Russia Explore Sports Cooperation
Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, and Russian Ambassador to Indonesia, Sergey Tolchenov, held a productive meeting on Wednesday, exploring potential areas of cooperation in the field of sports between the two nations. The discussions aimed at deepening the longstanding bilateral ties, particularly in promoting and developing sports programs.
In an official statement released by the ministry, Ambassador Tolchenov expressed Russia’s interest in collaborating with Indonesia on several sports initiatives. “We have several sports programs and wish to establish cooperation with Indonesia,” he stated. The ambassador provided an overview of Russia’s current sports development efforts, highlighting the role of the Russian Ministry of Sports in fostering and advancing various sports disciplines.
As part of the discussions, Ambassador Tolchenov also outlined plans to commemorate the upcoming 2025 anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Indonesia. He revealed that Russia intends to organize friendly sports matches between the two countries as part of the celebrations. The proposed events are expected to enhance cultural exchange and strengthen people-to-people ties through sport.
Minister Ariotedjo warmly welcomed the prospect of sports cooperation, noting the enduring relationship between Indonesia and Russia. “The exploration of sports cooperation is a natural extension of our long-standing ties, and we look forward to following up on the proposed programs,” the minister remarked.
The minister also emphasized Indonesia’s goal to promote its traditional martial art, pencak silat, in Russia through this collaboration. Highlighting President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s role as chairperson of the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat), Ariotedjo reiterated Indonesia’s ambition to have pencak silat included in future Olympic Games.
In addition to pencak silat, the proposed friendly sports matches between Indonesia and Russia will cover a range of sports, including football and volleyball—both highly popular in Indonesia. “There is a lot of potential for cooperation with Russia, and we will initially focus on the specific programs that have been proposed,” Minister Ariotedjo concluded.
The meeting marks a significant step toward enhancing sports diplomacy and cultural exchange between the two countries.
