Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir said that President Prabowo Subianto has conveyed plans to prepare pension funds for athletes and coaches who have contributed to Indonesia’s achievements.
"Earlier, when meeting with all the athletes, he asked them one by one about their future career plans, and he immediately instructed me to prepare pension funds for athletes and coaches," Thohir said in a statement on Thursday (January 8).
However, the minister did not elaborate on the pension scheme for athletes and coaches.
He then expressed appreciation to Prabowo for recognizing athletes and coaches through pension support rather than just one-time bonuses.
"The President really encourages us to excel and he also appreciates us with bonuses, which serve as a savings account. This is extraordinary, and I believe our sport will continue to develop," Thohir conveyed optimism.
Besides pension funds, Prabowo also signaled that bonuses for Indonesian athletes securing medals at the upcoming Asian Games could potentially be bigger than those awarded to the SEA Games Thailand medalists.
"Now our challenge is the Asian Games; the higher the prize, the harder it is for the athletes and for us. We've already set a fairly strict benchmark: a SEA Games gold medal is worth Rp1 billion. What about an Asian Games gold medal? It will increase," he ensured.
The government awarded a bonus of Rp1 billion (US$57,800) to Indonesian gold medalists from the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
This bonus is the highest in history given by the government to SEA Games gold medalists.
The bonus for gold medalists has also doubled from the previous SEA Games in Cambodia, when the government awarded gold medalists Rp500 million (US$28,900).
Indonesia placed second at the 2025 SEA Games, trailing host Thailand, after securing 91 gold, 112 silver, and 130 bronze medals.
Indonesia's achievement at the event also marked a historic milestone, as it was the first time since 1995 that Indonesia had finished second in the SEA Games.
Editor : Taufik
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