JAKARTA - The TNI Commander, General TNI Agus Subiyanto, revealed his plan to form a sports battalion under the TNI Center for Physical and Basic Military Regulations (Pusjaspermildas), especially after a number of athletes who are also TNI soldiers contributed many medals in the 2025 Thailand SEA Games.
Agus explained that the battalion would later be used to train soldiers who had entered from the athlete track or soldiers who could be projected to participate in regional and world-level sports competitions.
"The policy from the TNI Headquarters, we recruit specifically, I have recruited specifically from civilians who have the ability to become (members, ed.) the military. Now, we will create a sports battalion under Pusjaspermildas," said the TNI Commander in response to a reporter's question after the bonus presentation for the SEA Games 2025 medal winners at the State Palace, Jakarta, Thursday.
The Commander continued that the TNI Headquarters had recruited several volleyball athletes who are currently playing in the main league, Proliga, as well as football athletes who are currently also included in League 1 and League 2 clubs.
"Well, these people will be the precursors who will later compete in the SEA Games, and other sports activities such as the Olympics and so on," said the TNI Commander.
TNI soldiers who also competed in the 2025 Thailand SEA Games contributed 19 gold medals, 16 silver medals, and 17 bronze medals. The total Garuda Contingent's achievement in the 33rd SEA Games was 91 gold medals, 112 silver, and 130 bronze.
The commander stated that for the achievements of the soldiers, the TNI Headquarters gave them an extraordinary rank increase (KPLB). An award in the form of a two-rank increase was also given to one of the athletes, namely Rizki Juniansyah, an Indonesian lifter who not only contributed gold, but also broke two world records in the clean and jerk competition with a weight of 205 kilograms and a total power of 365 kilograms.
Rizki, who was originally a lieutenant two, also received an award for a two-rank promotion to captain.
General Agus said that the two-level promotion was the first he had given during his tenure as TNI commander.
"As long as I am in office, yes, this is new, because this is a new unit. The TNI is developing the development of new units in addition to sports. There are also many new units that I have developed in accordance with the development of the strategic environment that is now changing very dynamically in the world. We must follow," said General Agus.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
