RI\’s SEA Games medal targets set based on data, Sports Ministry says

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports ensured that Indonesia’s targets for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand are set based on data, not solely on reports from sports federations.”We must compare all the available data, such as the prospective opponents, the positions, the strengths and weaknesses of our athletes,” the ministry’s Deputy of Sports Achievement Improvement Surono said in a press conference here on Thursday.He explained that the review team, which includes representatives from the ministry, experts, practitioners, and sport committees, has summoned officials from 52 sport federations to discuss preparations for the 2025 SEA Games this coming December.Each federation has submitted its target, but the team must still analyze it further by referring to supporting data before determining the overall medal targets.According to him, setting medal targets based on data is challenging because some sports are difficult to measure, especially for team sports and those with a high degree of subjectivity, such as boxing.Meanwhile, measurable sports like athletics, sport climbing, weightlifting, and others are easier to set data-based targets.Surono noted that following the review with each federation, the next step is opportunity analysis before setting the final targets.In principle, he continued, the athlete selection for the upcoming SEA Games is based on the potential for winning medals.Indonesia is targeting to finish in third place at the 2025 SEA Games medal tally, which requires a minimum haul of 80 gold medals. However, based on temporary calculations, the potential gold medal count that can be secured is only 78.He clarified that in this year’s SEA Games edition, many of the events in which Indonesia previously excelled at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, where Indonesia won 87 gold medals, will not be contested by the host country.This, he further said, makes Indonesia lose the opportunity to win 41 gold medals in the Southeast Asian multi-sport event.”To this end, we are still carrying out an analysis to ensure the athletes sent are those who have the potential to win medals,” he affirmed.