BADUNG, Bali: Indonesia has been chosen as the pilot country for a project aimed at combating extremism and terrorism through sports, due to its strong spirit of unity in diversity and the growing development of its sports sector, reported Antara news agency.
"Together with UNOCT (United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism) and Global Sport, we utilise sports to reduce and prevent extremist and terrorist movements," Minister of Youth and Sports, Dito Ariotedjo, said while opening a conference on combating terrorism through sports in Bali on Tuesday (Oct 1).
According to him, the cooperation between the Indonesian government and UNOCT is being carried out through the Global Sport programme.
The conference formulated cooperation in several main points for potential pilot projects for sports, including soccer or volleyball, the minister added.
The government will strengthen the ecosystem of these sports by utilising Indonesia's diversity as a basis to reduce the potential for extremism and terrorism, he said.
He added that UNOCT has prepared a method and strategy to promote Indonesia's diversity while encouraging greater nationalism among its people.
"We are honoured that the UN decided to set foot in Indonesia. We want Indonesia to be ready to become a sports country in the future," he emphasised.
Ariotedjo considers the pilot project effective as an effort to combat terrorism and extremism in Indonesia.
"The public is increasingly proud of our national teams, whether in football, volleyball, or climbing. This is one of the benchmarks for an increased pride and love for the country," he added.
He noted that sports and terrorism are not directly related, but are closely linked from a security perspective.
The efforts made by the Indonesian government and UNOCT were carried out by observing cases of terrorism in sporting events, one of which was the Boston Marathon bombing in the United States in 2013, which killed three people. - Bernama-Antara
