The general management of the Indonesian Pencak Silat Association (PB IPSI) is holding the 15th national deliberation on ‘Advanced Indonesia, Pencak Silat towards Olympics’ in Bogor, West java, from December 15–18, 2021.
Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali officially opened the national deliberation at a hotel in Bogor. The main agenda of the meeting is to decide the next chairman of PB IPSI for 2021–2025.
Chairman of the National Sports Committee (KONI) Marciano Norman also attended the event on Friday.
Norman expressed a big hope for Pencak Silat sport to be included in the Olympics.
“We hope that Pencak Silat can be a martial arts that Indonesia is proud of, and it can be contested in the Olympics such as karate, taekwondo, and so on,” he said.
Hence, the effort of making the world fall in love with the sport of Pencak Silat is necessary, he added.
He also said he hoped that PB IPSI can produce management that is able to increase the achievements of the Indonesian Pencak Silat. Until now, the fostering of the Indonesian martial arts under PB IPSI, which is under the leadership of Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, has proceeded well, he observed.
“It is proven in the 2018 Asian Games where Pencak Silat contributed to the Indonesian contingent as the popular champion. Some Pencak Silat athletes also won international achievements in some championships,” Norman noted.
He also lauded Pencak Silat athletes who had successfully contributed to the 20th PON National Sports Week 2021 in Papua.
“I express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to PB IPSI, IPSI provincial management, athletes, and coaches that have prepared the Pencak Silat competitions in Papua’s PON XX as best as possible. By succeeding Papua’s PON, we have motivated Indonesia and (attested) that we can gain achievements amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” he explained.
Source: Antara News