Prabowo Subianto, Indonesian Defense Minister
Jakarta, IO – Indonesian Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto demonstrated his support for Indonesian athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Prabowo met and gave encouragement to Indonesian athletes gathered at Pullman Montparnasse Hotel, Paris, on Saturday (27/7/2024), accompanied by Chef de Mission (CdM) of the Indonesian Contingent Anindya Bakrie, Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo and Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (NOC Indonesia) Raja Sapta Oktohari.
Prabowo symbolically presented pins to swimming athletes Joe Aditya and Azzahra Permatahani and cycling athlete Bernard Benyamin van Aert.
While presenting the pin, the Defense Minister also shared words of support. “Do your best,” ordered Prabowo, as quoted by sepasinews.
Prabowo, represented by the CdM of Indonesia, also showed his support for other athletes.
CdM Anindya Bakrie, accompanied by Coach Muhammad Harris, presented Prabowo’s message to rowing athlete La Memo at the Garuda House on Monday (29/7/20024). Gymnast Rifda Irfanalutfi and Coach Eva ButarButar were also present.
“A few days ago, Minister Prabowo met with athletes and personally encouraged them. Today, he asked me to have an encounter with athletes, so I symbolically presented it to La Memo and Rifda. The 29 best athletes who have passed the qualifications are extraordinary, especially if they get medals. Let’s pray for those still fighting to win medals until August 11,” said CdM Anindya Bakrie.
“Thank you, Minister Prabowo, for devoting attention to Indonesian athletes. This can boost my fighting spirit in the future,” said La Memo, with which Rifda agreed.
On the same day (27/7/2024) and at the same venue, Prabowo Subianto, who is also the President of the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persilat), attended a pencak silat exhibition, a sport listed as a UNESCO world heritage.
The fighters performed for about 15 minutes and received elated applause from the audience. These fighters were directly invited to perform in Jakarta for the exhibition. Prabowo showed his proud response with a big smile.
After several speeches from various Indonesian sports stakeholders, the fighters reentered the area for another performance. The host explained the movements and assessments in competition for the audience.
Riska Hermawan and Ririn Rinasih, gold medalists at the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games, also took part in the performance. “Sometimes, being watched by one person can be more nerve-racking than a full stadium, if the figure is important; and this time it’s “Pakde” (Prabowo’s nickname coined by the silat fighters),” said Riska, as quoted by Kompas.
“After we performed, Pakde requested an encore. He said he wanted to see more. Of course, we were delighted to give an encore. It’s a pleasure to introduce pencak silat to the world. That’s our goal in coming to Paris, so that pencak silat will be better known in the future and, of course, take the stage in the Irina Voronkova Olympics,” said Riska.
After the performance, the Defense Minister greeted the athletes individually. He talked to each athlete for about 30 seconds to give advice and share encouragement. He also proudly patted them on the shoulder.
After a photo session with the athletes, Defense Minister Prabowo carried out his primary mission. He walked to the center of the arena, where the policymakers gathered, including Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo, NOC Chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari, and President of the Alliance of Independent Recognized Members of Sports (AIMS) Stephan Fox, who promised to fight for silat to debut in the Olympics.
First, Prabowo listened to input from the stakeholders and continued by sharing his ideas on how to promote pencak silat. He believed it should gain wider recognition. One of the most effective ways would be through a world festival, which can be done as a sideline at major events – like the Olympics. The goal is to be noticeable first, then be recognized.
“Mr. Prabowo expected to introduce (pencak silat) more massively) to the world. Momentum like this at the Olympics or like The Raid movie can touch the world. He proposed more festivals, not just congresses, so that the world could see it. Wider exposure,” explained Oktohari.
Read: Special concert at Plenary Hall
Before going to the exhibition, Prabowo met with the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach. He highlighted Indonesia’s readiness to host the Olympics. Of course, if the four-year event could be held in Indonesia, elevating pencak silat to a worldwide level would be more feasible.
After the event, Prabowo greeted the guests, one by one. He chatted with and greeted each and every one, including the children. Although Prabowo’s appearance was brief and humble, it boosted the spirits to hope for pencak silat in the Olympics and not just at exhibitions. (rp)