Indonesia and Australia Join Forces to Unlock National Sporting Potential

The Australian Embassy and the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) teamed up again today to provide Indonesia’s top sports coaches, administrators, physiotherapists, professors, doctors and teachers with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and develop their skills to unlock Indonesia’s undoubted sporting potential.

In the latest sports seminar hosted by the Australian Embassy, visiting Australian experts, Dr Ian Ford, Director of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport (NTIS) and Gary Dawson, Head of the Institute’s Biomechanics and Skill Analysis Division, spoke about biomechanics, skill acquisition and performance analysis and the role of the NTIS in the Australian Sports System. Indonesian seminar attendees travelled from as far as Aceh, Kalimantan and Papua, representing mainstream sports such as football and badminton, as well as traditional Indonesian sports such as Pencak Silat.

Secretary General of KOI, Mr Arie Ariotedjo, is a strong advocate for the increasing cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in the field of sport. Ariotedjo has just returned from Australia where he led a 31-member delegation of senior Indonesian Government sports officials on a tour of Australian sports facilities, including a visit to the Australian Institute of Sport.

“We can learn from the Australian sports system. Australia has proven that through strategic planning and investment in sports science and grassroots sport, a nation’s performance on the international sports stage can improve dramatically. Despite a population of only 22 million, Australia performed exceptionally well in recent Olympic Games, finishing in the top six on the medal tally since Sydney 2000.

“We have been working closely with the Australian Embassy over the past 12 months on a number of initiatives and I am confident that these will positively impact Indonesia’s preparations for the South East Asian Games in the short term, as well as our long-term sporting future,” said Ariotedjo.

“The International Olympic Committee demonstrated its support for our partnership with the Australian Embassy by contributing $30,000 through the Olympic Solidarity Program. This enables us to offer a series of seminars and workshops over the next twelve months,” added Ariotedjo.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty strongly values the strengthening sports cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.

“Sport is an excellent way to build bridges and develop stronger people-to-people links with our Indonesian neighbours. The sport seminars and the Indonesian delegation’s visit to Australia are great examples of this ongoing cooperation.

“The support shown by Indonesia’s sports sector for the seminars has been overwhelming and we will continue working closely with KOI to provide further opportunities,” said Ambassador Moriarty.

In another exciting development, former Indonesian national team sailor and television news presenter, Dyan Puspito Rini, has been awarded a Western Australian Government funded scholarship to take part in an intensive training session at the International Sailing Federation’s Emerging Nations Programme in Perth. She will depart for Perth today.

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Ray Marcelo, Counsellor - Public Affairs, tel. (021) 2550 5290 mob 0811 187 3175