The Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, took the opportunity at the global sports initiative event ‘Securing the Legacy: Debriefing from Paris 2024 for Future Major Sporting Events Marking’ at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to promote pencak silat as a cultural heritage of Indonesia. He underlined how pencak silat extends beyond martial arts, embodying values of discipline, resilience, and peace. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat imparts the teachings of defense and protection while promoting harmony and peace.
Minister Dito emphasized Indonesia’s perspective of pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and its efforts towards enhancing its international recognition, including as a prospective addition to the Olympics. He believes that sports, such as pencak silat, epitomize security resilience principles and can play a role in nation-building, social cohesion, and conflict resolution. Indonesia is a supporter of the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme, committing to using traditional and modern sports to empower youth and enhance resilience.
The event also shed light on lessons drawn from the 2024 Paris Olympics, emphasizing the importance of robust security infrastructure and readiness for major sporting events. Minister Dito emphasized the necessity of innovative security frameworks, intelligence sharing, and global partnerships to effectively address security challenges. Indonesia aims to bolster public-private collaborations, elevate sports safety standards, and promote international cooperation in combating violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s vision to include pencak silat in the Olympics was highlighted, with a call for support from all stakeholders. He stressed the importance of preserving pencak silat as Indonesia’s cultural legacy and striving for its Olympic inclusion. The initiatives to promote pencak silat align with Indonesia’s dedication to fostering peace and unity through sports collaboration. Indonesia’s commitment to promoting sports as a symbol of peace and resilience resonates with the shared goal of ensuring a secure and inclusive global sports environment.
