JAKARTA - The Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora) will dispatch table tennis athletes to the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. In fact, table tennis was not included in the list of 31 sports previously announced.
The appearance of table tennis then raises question marks. Not wanting polemics to grow wilder, Menpora Dito Ariotedjo then gave an explanation.
He said one of the reasons he finally registered table tennis was to avoid sanctions from international federations.
The reason is, table tennis has been absent twice in a row at the biggest two-year sporting event in Southeast Asia, namely in the Philippines 2019 and Vietnam 2021.
"First, if it doesn't depart, there will be sanctions from international federations. Second, there are already two SEA Games, if this doesn't mean we have to wait anymore," said Dito after the release of the contingent at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Tuesday, April 2.
Apart from avoiding sanctions, table tennis has great potential because it is a sport that is popular with the Indonesian people.
"This table tennis is a sport that is very popular with the first community and also the potential can be very large because the equipment and venues can be done anywhere," he said, as reported by Antara.
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"So apart from the obligation of the international federation and this must be done, these two sports can be a priority in Indonesia," continued the young Golkar Party politician.
On the same occasion, Dito is optimistic that the table tennis team can return to the SEA Games after participating for the last time in 2017. Now, continued Dito, Indonesian table tennis athletes are just waiting for the administrative stage to finish.
"Administratively, it's complete here and ready. It's just an administration in Cambodia. God willing, we will fight for it," said Dito.
"And this, God willing, can pass. God willing, we are optimistic," he continued.
Meanwhile, Chef de Mission (CdM) Indonesia Lexyndo Hakim admitted that he was ready to provide services to table tennis athletes if they were officially registered. Currently, his party is still waiting for the direction of the Menpora.
"If it is sent or dispatched by the government, of course we as CdM will definitely provide services for them," said Lexyndo.
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