Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, seized 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 advocate for pencak silat as a significant cultural heritage of Indonesia. He showcased how pencak silat transcends martial arts, embodying virtues of discipline, resilience, and peace. Acknowledged by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat instills in its practitioners the values of defense, protection, and the promotion of harmony and peace.
Minister Dito underscored Indonesia’s perspective on pencak silat as a symbol of global resilience and its efforts to enhance its international recognition, potentially even at the Olympics. He was firm in his belief that sports, exemplified by pencak silat, epitomize security resilience principles and can play a pivotal role in nation-building, fostering social cohesion, and resolving conflicts. Indonesia’s allegiance to the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme underscores its commitment to leveraging both traditional and modern sports to empower youth and bolster resilience.
Insights gleaned from the 2024 Paris Olympics underscored the paramount importance of robust security infrastructure and preparedness for major sporting events. Minister Dito emphasized the necessity for innovative security frameworks, intelligence sharing, and global partnerships to effectively tackle security challenges. Indonesia aims to fortify public-private collaborations, elevate sports safety standards, and nurture international cooperation to combat violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s aspiration to bring pencak silat to the Olympics was heralded, with an earnest call for support from all quarters. He underscored the imperative of safeguarding pencak silat as Indonesia’s cultural heritage and striving for its Olympic inclusion. The endeavors to promote pencak silat resonate with Indonesia’s dedication to fostering unity, collaboration, and peace through sports. Indonesia’s unwavering commitment to championing sports as a beacon of peace and resilience mirrors the shared goal of ensuring a secure and inclusive global sporting landscape.
