JAKARTA - The joining of Indonesian footballer Pratama Arhan to Japanese club Tokyo Verdy is considered to be more than just a matter of player transfer. Because, Arhan's move to the J2 League club is expected to pave the way for cooperation between Indonesia and Japan in the field of sports.
This was revealed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian Ambassador) to Japan, Heri Akhmadi. In the agenda for the inauguration of Arhan at Wisma Indonesia in Tokyo on Friday, March 25, Heri also hopes that Arhan's presence can have a positive impact on both countries.
"The momentum of Arhan joining Tokyo Verdy is a new step to strengthen football cooperation between Indonesia and Japan," said Heri Akhmadi.
"Of course this will also open a new page for further and wider cooperation in the future," he continued.
Heri admits that Primary Arhan is not the first footballer to have a career in Japan. However, the former PSIS Semarang player is proof of the success of Japanese football's efforts to bring in the first foreign players in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Arhan's career in Japan, Heri Hopes, later it can attract the interest of other young players or football academies to participate in establishing cooperation between the two countries. Moreover, Arhan also has the title as the best young player at AFF 2021 which is increasingly becoming an attraction.
"Arhan at AFF 2021 won the title of the best young player, so surely all football fans both in Indonesia and Asia will get to know him. With him playing in Japan, it is hoped that it will further raise the image of football and open up opportunities for other collaborations," said Heri.
"There are now several clubs and academies in Indonesia who are interested in collaborating with Japan, and vice versa. So I hope that the cooperation can go well and strengthen the relationship between the two countries," explained Heri Akhmadi.
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