Sports minister open to athlete naturalization across all disciplines

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said the ministry remains open to athlete naturalization across all sports as part of efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s performance in international competitions.

"As long as our diaspora have the spirit of nationalism, whether in football, swimming, or other sports, we are open," he remarked at the working meeting with the Minister of Law and Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) regarding the application to grant Indonesian citizenship to two football athletes, Luke Anthony Vickery and Mitchell Lee Baker, on Wednesday.

Thohir considered the current phenomenon of sports globalization unavoidable, making naturalization a strategic effort to improve national sporting achievements.

He cited the example of Japanese national team goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who is currently representing Japan in the 2026 World Cup. Zion is of mixed Japanese and Ghanaian descent.

The minister explained that naturalization in Japan is not limited to football; it also pursues athletes in other sports such as basketball player Rui Hachimura of Japanese-Beninese descent, who currently competes in the NBA, and tennis player Naomi Osaka, who is of mixed Japanese and Haitian descent.

Besides naturalizing athletes to strengthen national sports, several Indonesian athletes have also been naturalized by other countries.

One such athlete is badminton player Mia Audina, who became a Dutch citizen and won a silver medal in badminton at the 2004 Athens Olympics for the country.

Furthermore, Indonesian men's doubles legend Tony Gunawan was also naturalized to represent the United States national team, Thohir stated.

The minister explained that, following the approach adopted by many countries to strengthen their sporting performance, the government remains open to naturalization applications from athletes across various disciplines.

To date, several sports beyond football have benefited from diaspora athletes, including Masniari Wolf, a swimmer who secured gold medals for Indonesia at the 2021, 2023, and 2025 SEA Games.

Further examples also include swimmer Felix Viktor Iberle, of Indonesian and German descent, who has contributed gold medals for Indonesia, followed by 14-year-old skateboarder Ni Wayan Malana Fairbrother, who has Indonesian, British, and Australian heritage.

"This is the reason why we are open to naturalization, without neglecting grassroots development in sports," Thohir pointed out.

Related news: Indonesia grants citizenship to four Russian ice hockey players

Related news: RI eyes Dutch duo for September fixtures as naturalization progresses

Related news: PSSI seeks to expedite Diks' citizenship as Japan clash looms

Translator: Aloysius Lewokeda, Resinta Sulistiyandari

Editor: Azis Kurmala

Copyright © ANTARA 2026