NOC Indonesia Plans Athlete Naturalization For All Sports

JAKARTA The Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC) has paved the way to be ready to naturalize athletes for all sports (sports) following in the footsteps of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI).

Chairman of the NOC, Raja Sapta Oktohari, said that the steps taken by PSSI so far have proven successful so that other sports can imitate that method.

"Regarding naturalization, I'm looking for it. I want it if there is naturalization. If you have information about naturalized players, let me know. For all sports," said Raja Sapta Oktohari in Jakarta on Monday, October 14, 2024, afternoon WIB.

Indonesia without naturalization can actually talk a lot on important multi-branch stages, such as the Olympics.

Most recently in Paris 2024, Indonesia was able to bring home two gold medals through weightlifting and rock climbing. The record repeats the success that was inscribed at Barcelona 1992.

Okto, as Raja Sapta Oktohari is called, said that the achievement was actually very satisfying. However, there must be a desire to increase. Therefore, naturalization can be a solution as well as a trigger.

"This is like a stimulant to generate our passion. Sometimes we need something like this. Driven so that our people are more advanced. It's not that we don't have the ability. We have, but we need stimulants," he said.

The naturalization carried out by PSSI so far is still reaping pros and contracts. For the contra, this road is considered to have killed domestic seeds, while in this pro-road group it is considered legal and boosted achievements.

This naturalization criticism was previously conveyed by a member of the NOC Executive Committee, Hifni Hasan, while attending an event with the Indonesian national team coach, Shin Tae-yong.

NOC Indonesia then clarified the statement from its members. They emphasized that what Hifni said did not represent the agency at all.