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 showcase pencak silat as a significant cultural heritage of Indonesia. He emphasized the deeper values of pencak silat, such as discipline, resilience, and peace, transcending mere martial arts. Being recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, pencak silat not only equips practitioners with self-defense skills but also promotes harmony and peace in society.
Minister Dito underlined Indonesia’s commitment to introducing pencak silat on the international stage, potentially as a part of the Olympics. He believes that sports like pencak silat exemplify security resilience principles and can play a role in nation-building, fostering social cohesion, and resolving conflicts. Indonesia’s support for the UN Office for Combating Terrorism’s Global Sports Programme demonstrates its dedication to utilizing sports, both traditional and modern, to empower youth and enhance resilience.
The event also drew attention to lessons learned from the 2024 Paris Olympics, stressing the crucial need for robust security infrastructure and preparedness for hosting major sporting events. Minister Dito emphasized the importance of innovative security frameworks, intelligence sharing, and global collaborations to effectively address security challenges. Indonesia aims to bolster public-private partnerships, elevate sports safety standards, and facilitate international cooperation to combat violent extremism through sports.
President Prabowo Subianto’s aspiration to bring pencak silat to the Olympics was highlighted, accompanied by a call for solidarity from all stakeholders. The significance of preserving pencak silat as a cultural treasure of Indonesia and advocating for its inclusion in the Olympics were underscored. These efforts align with Indonesia’s dedication to promoting collaboration for peace and unity through sports, reflecting a shared objective of establishing a secure and inclusive global sports environment.
