Indonesia delighted to host FIBA office in Jakarta: President Jokowi

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated that he and the Indonesian nation are delighted with the presence of a representative office of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in Indonesia.

"This (office) serves as concrete proof of FIBA's support for the efforts aimed at accelerating improvements in Indonesia's basketball performances," he remarked during the inauguration of the FIBA office at Danareksa Tower, Jakarta, on Tuesday.

President Jokowi also thanked FIBA for trusting Indonesia to become a successful co-host of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Jakarta.

The head of state then emphasized that Indonesia would always stay true to its commitment to investing efforts to produce future sports stars by pursuing mentoring and training activities and organizing more sporting events.

He highlighted that Indonesia has continued building world-class sports venues and intensifying its partnerships with international federations, including FIBA.

The president noted that all the measures are expected to help Indonesia produce more excellent athletes who will strive for achievements at international sports competitions, ultimately making the nation proud.

Earlier, on May 2, Minister of Youth and Sports Dito Ariotedjo noted that the opening of the FIBA office would reflect a sound level of international trust in Indonesia, especially in the country's basketball scene.

After meeting with FIBA executive committee member Ingo Weiss in Jakarta, the minister stated that the international body would assist the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) in improving Indonesia's basketball quality.

​​​​​​​"FIBA will deploy a dedicated team and is committed to accompanying Perbasi to improve the (basketball) human resources, such as coaches and referees, as well as early-age development programs," he said.