Sport in Indonesia
Encyclopedia
Sports are popular in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 from both the participation and spectating aspect. Racket sports, like badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

, are popular sports in Indonesia. Sporting events in Indonesia are organized by the Indonesian National Sport Committee (Komite Olahraga Nasional Indonesia or KONI). The organisation, along with the Indonesian government have set the National Sports Day on September 9.

Indonesia held Pekan Olahraga Nasional
Pekan Olahraga Nasional
The Pekan Olahraga Nasional is a multi-sport event held every four years in Indonesia...

 multi-sport event
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...

 every four years. The participants of this event is the athletes from all provinces of Indonesia
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...

 with hosting tally are distributed among Indonesian provinces.

History

In traditional Indonesian culture, there is no actual concept for physical exercise as the counterpart of modern sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

. Native Indonesians usually linked the physical activities to tribal practices; mainly for ritual, art, physical fitness and martial purposes. The war dances and ritual combat among Indonesian tribes are the earliest example of ritualized physical exercise in Indonesia. Some of native Indonesian rituals are resembling sport, such as lompat batu (leaping the stone) tradition among Nias
Nias
Nīas is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako archipelago....

 male youth as part of coming of age ritual, that resembles hurdling
Hurdling
Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

 and long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

 in athletics. Also Madurese karapan sapi (bull racing) that is similar to chariot race. Dragon boat
Dragon boat
A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...

, canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

 and kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

 race are virtually everyday activities among Indonesians that lives on the bank of major rivers or on distant islands.

In 9th century the images of archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...

, described as princely court activities among nobility in ancient Java, can be found on bas-reliefs of Javanese candi
Candi of Indonesia
Candi are the Hindu and Buddhist temples and sanctuaries of Indonesia, mostly built during the 8th to 15th centuries...

s. Archery is suggested as one of Indonesia's classical sport, and one of its famous rendering came from Prambanan
Prambanan
Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator , the Sustainer and the Destroyer...

 temple as part of Ramayana story and later rendered as one of the icon of the Jakarta's 1962 Asian Games
1962 Asian Games
The 4th Asian Games were held from August 24, 1962 to September 4, 1962 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Most notable is the exclusion of Israel and the Republic of China from the Games....

, also as the symbol of Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

Pencak Silat
Pencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...

 is the example of Indonesian native martial art that turned into competitive combat sport. Several Indonesian dances demonstrated repetitive movements that similar to physical exercise. Indonesian traditional social dances such as poco-poco dance from North Sulawesi and sajojo from Papua are adopted as senam kesegaran jasmani (musical calisthenics
Calisthenics
Calisthenics are a form of aerobic exercise consisting of a variety of simple, often rhythmical, movements, generally using multiple equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using...

) today popular across Indonesia.

The modern concept of sport was introduced during colonial Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....

 period. During these times football and badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 has reached Indonesia and become popular sport among Indonesian people eversince. After Indonesian independence, National Sports Committee of Indonesia
National Sports Committee of Indonesia
The National Sports Committee of Indonesia , is the National Olympic Committee of Indonesia. It was founded in 1946 to unite the various satellite sports associations that was created within the regencies. Its biggest event is the Pekan Olahraga Nasional , an annual national sports event where...

 was established in 1946 to unite the various satellite sports associations that was created within the regencies, then sports facilities were constructed in Indonesia, such as Ikada Stadium
Ikada Stadium
Ikada Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was initially used as the stadium of Indonesia national football team matches as well as the 1951 Indonesian National Games. It was replaced by Bung Karno Stadium in 1962. The capacity of the stadium was 30,000 spectators.-External...

 (1951—1962). During Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...

 reign, there is a desire to utilize sport as the means for uniting Indonesian people, establishing national pride as well as promoting sports in Indonesia. As the result the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium surrounded by sporting complex facilities were constructed in 1962 to host the fourth Asian Games
1962 Asian Games
The 4th Asian Games were held from August 24, 1962 to September 4, 1962 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Most notable is the exclusion of Israel and the Republic of China from the Games....

 held in Jakarta. Today in international stage, Indonesia is successful in badminton and also has been one of the major multi-event sports powerhouse in Southeast Asia.

Popular Sports

Many sports were imported, some were developed from native Indonesian traditional sports and became popular in Indonesia.

Badminton

Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...

 is Indonesia's most successful sport. Indonesia has won gold medals in badminton in every Olympic Games since the sport was first introduced to the Olympics in 1992. In 1992 it came from Alan Budikusuma
Alan Budikusuma
Alan Budikusuma is a former Chinese Indonesian badminton player who excelled at the world level from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s....

 in men's singles, and Susi Susanti in women's singles. In 1996 Ricky Subagja
Ricky Subagja
Ricky Ahmad Subagja is a Bandung, Indonesia born former world-class badminton player. He rates among the greatest doubles specialists in the sport's history.-Career:...

 and Rexy Mainaky
Rexy Mainaky
Rexy Ronald Mainaky is a former men's doubles badminton world champion from Indonesia who is often simply known as Rexy. He won the men doubles Olympic gold medal in 1996 with Ricky Subagja.- Career :...

 got the gold medal men's doubles. In 2000 Candra Wijaya
Candra Wijaya
-Career:Wijaya is a doubles specialist who, as of 2008, has rated among the best men's doubles players in the world for over a decade. Noted for his ability in all phases of the doubles game, he has reached the final of the BWF World Championships three times with countryman Sigit Budiarto. They...

 and Tony Gunawan
Tony Gunawan
Tony Gunawan is an Indonesian born badminton player of Chinese descent.-Career:Gunawan is a former Olympic gold medalist and world champion for Indonesia, and now represents the United States. He is regarded by many, including his peers, as one of the greatest doubles players badminton's history...

 won the gold medal in men's doubles. In the 2004 Taufik Hidayat
Taufik Hidayat
Taufik Hidayat is an Indonesian badminton player. He is a former World and Olympic champion in men's singles...

 won a gold medal in men's singles. In 2008 Summer Olympics
Badminton at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Badminton competitions at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics were held from August 9 to August 17 at the Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium.-Qualification:The qualification for 2008 Summer Olympics began from May 2007 until April 2008...

, Indonesia won a gold medal through men's doubles, Markis Kido
Markis Kido
Markis Kido is a male badminton player from Indonesia, one of the world's leading men's doubles specialists. He won the men's doubles Olympic gold medal in 2008 with Hendra Setiawan.- Career :...

 and Hendra Setiawan
Hendra Setiawan
Hendra Setiawan is a male badminton player from Indonesia and one of the world's leading doubles players.-Career:...

.

Indonesian badminton athletes have played in various international badminton tournaments in Indonesia
Indonesia Open (badminton)
The Indonesia Open in an annual badminton tournament organized by Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia and held in Indonesia since 1982. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournament in 2007 and got the Premier Super Series status in 2011....

, China
China Open (badminton)
The China Open is an annual badminton tournament held in People's Republic of China. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournaments in 2007.-Past winners:...

, Korea
Korea Open (badminton)
The Korea Open is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Seoul, South Korea. The tournament is also known as Korea Open Super Series because it become one of the BWF Super Series tournament began 2007....

, Denmark, Malaysia
Malaysia Open (badminton)
The Malaysia Open is an annual badminton event that commonly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The tournament has been held since 1937 and has been played in different locations such as Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang, Selangor, Kuantan....

, Japan
Japan Open (badminton)
The Japan Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Japan. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournaments in 2007.-Past winners:...

, All England Open Badminton Championships
All England Open Badminton Championships
The All England Open Badminton Championships, or simply All England, is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious badminton tournaments. Played annually, it developed after the success of world's first badminton tournament held in Guildford in 1898...

 and many international events, including summer olympics ever since badminton is played again in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

. Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono
Rudy Hartono Kurniawan , born August 18, 1949) is a former Chinese Indonesian badminton player who won the men's singles title at the World Championship in 1980, and the prestigious All-England Championship trophy eight times, seven times consecutively , in the 1960s and 1970s. He is one of the...

 is an Indonesian legendary badminton player, who has succeeded to win All England titles six times in a row.

Out of all participating nations, Indonesia won the most games in the Thomas Cup
Thomas Cup
The Thomas Cup, sometimes called the World Men's Team Championships, is an international badminton competition among teams representing member nations of the Badminton World Federation , the sport's global governing body...

 (Men Nations Badminton Championship), winning 13 out of 24. In addition to that, Indonesia won the Uber Cup
Uber Cup
The Uber Cup, sometimes called the World Team Championships for Women, is a major international badminton competition contested by women's national badminton teams. First held in 1956-1957 and contested at three year intervals, it has been contested every two years since 1984 when its scheduled...

 3 times. (Women Nations Badminton Championship). Indonesia also held its own international badminton tournament, the most prestigious is Indonesia Open
Indonesia Open (badminton)
The Indonesia Open in an annual badminton tournament organized by Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia and held in Indonesia since 1982. It became part of the BWF Super Series tournament in 2007 and got the Premier Super Series status in 2011....

 that had been held annually since 1982.

Football

Football is arguably the most popular sport in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. It is played on all levels, from children to middle-aged men. Indonesia Super League, the Indonesian domestic league is popular. Some of the major teams include: Persija Jakarta
Persija Jakarta
Persija Jakarta is an Indonesian football club from Jakarta. It is one of Indonesia's most successful clubs and the most popular sports club in the city. The club's patron is Sutiyoso, the governor of Jakarta until 2007. Persija Jakarta was founded on November 28, 1928, with the embryo called...

, Persib Bandung
Persib Bandung
Persib, an acronym for Persatuan Sepak Bola Indonesia Bandung is an Indonesian football club based in Bandung, West Java. In most of the media, a tautology Persib Bandung is often used...

, Persebaya Surabaya
Persebaya Surabaya
Persebaya Surabaya is a major Indonesian soccer team located in Surabaya, East Java. Persebaya generally play in the top league of Liga Indonesia, the Indonesia Super League but in 2010-11 are in the second tier....

, PSM Makassar
PSM Makassar
PSM, an acronym for Persatuan Sepakbola Makassar, is a football club that plays in the Liga Primer Indonesia. It was once considered as one of Indonesia's strongest football clubs, having won a title in 2000 and finishing runner-up three out of the past four seasons after that...

, PSMS Medan
PSMS Medan
Persatuan Sepakbola Medan dan Sekitarnya , commonly referred to as PSMS Medan or simply as PSMS, are an Indonesian football club based in Medan, Indonesia. They are one of Indonesia's most successful clubs. PSMS Medan were founded on April 21, 1950...

, PSIS Semarang
PSIS Semarang
PSIS is an Indonesian soccer team based in Semarang, Central Java. The team's homebase is at Jatidiri Stadium in Semarang.-History:...

, Persik Kediri
Persik Kediri
Persik, an acronym for Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Kediri is an Indonesian professional association football team located in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. The club was founded in 1950 by Raden Muchamad Machin, T.H.D. Rahmat, and M. Sanusi. In media, the tautology Persik Kediri is often...

, Persipura Jayapura
Persipura Jayapura
Persipura, an acronym for Persatuan Sepak Bola Indonesia Jayapura is a professional football club based in Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. The tautology Persipura Jayapura is often used in local media....

, Persiwa Wamena
Persiwa Wamena
Persiwa Wamena is an Indonesian football club based in Wamena, Papua Province, Indonesia. They play in the top division in Indonesian football, Liga Indonesia. Their home stadium is Pendidikan Stadium...

 and Arema Malang
Arema Malang
Arema Football Club is an Indonesian football team based in Malang, East Java. It is one of the most supported and successful football clubs in Indonesia. They currently play at the Indonesian professional league, the Indonesia Super League ....

. The national body is the Football Association of Indonesia
Football Association of Indonesia
The Football Association of Indonesia or PSSI is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on April 19, 1930, 15 years before Indonesian independence...

 (PSSI).

The Indonesian football league started around 1930 in the Dutch colonial
Dutch Colonial
Dutch Colonial is a style of domestic architecture, primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house...

 era. In 1993, PSSI combined the existing 2 amateur competitions to be a single professional competition for football clubs, known as the Indonesian Football League (Liga Indonesia
Liga Indonesia
The Indonesian football league system is a series of league system for association football clubs in Indonesia. Since 1994, Liga Indonesia is the league competition featuring association football clubs, as a result of two existing top flight football leagues merger: Perserikatan and Galatama...

). Starting from 2008-09 season onwards, the competition format changed into a more common system that also being used in most European football leagues. The name also changed into Indonesia Super League.

On the international stage, Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...

 experienced limited success despite being the first Asian team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 in 1938
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...

 as Dutch East Indies. In 1956, the football team played in the Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...

 and played a hard-fought draw against USSR. On the continent level, Indonesia won the bronze medal once in football in the 1958 Asian Games
1958 Asian Games
The 3rd Asian Games were held from May 24 to June 1, 1958 in Tokyo, Japan. A total number of 1,820 athletes, coming from 16 countries, competed in thirteen events at this Asiad. Debuting sports were field hockey, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. Tokyo would go on to host the 1964 Summer...

. Indonesia's first appearance in Asian Cup
AFC Asian Cup
The AFC Asian Cup is an international association football tournament run by the Asian Football Confederation . It is the second oldest continental football championship in the world after Copa América. The winning team becomes the champion of Asia and automatically qualifies for the FIFA...

 was back in 1996
1996 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 1996 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in the United Arab Emirates between December 4 and December 21. Saudi Arabia defeated host nation U.A.E. in the final match in Abu Dhabi.-Qualification:...

. The Indonesian national team has always qualified for the Asian Cup in 2000
2000 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2000 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Lebanon between October 12 and October 29. Japan defeated defending champion Saudi Arabia in the final match in Beirut.-Qualification:...

, 2004
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....

 and 2007 AFC Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...

, however unable to move through next stage.



Pencak Silat

Silat
Silat
Silat Melayu is a blanket term for the types of silat created in peninsular Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Singapore. The silat tradition has deep roots in Malay culture and can trace its origin to the dawn of Malay civilization, 2000 years ago...

 is an Indonesian native martial art, and Pencak Silat
Pencak Silat
Pencak silat is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts created in Indonesia. The leading organization of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI...

 is an umbrella term for the indigenous martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 created in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

. The leading organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...

 of pencak silat in Indonesia is IPSI (Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia meaning Organization for Indonesian Pencak Silat). The liaison body for international pencak silat is the International Pencak Silat Association or PERSILAT (Persekutuan Pencak Silat Antara Bangsa). There is many perguruan (schools) and styles of pencak silat in Indonesia.

Pencak silat has become one of sporting event in Pekan Olahraga Nasional
Pekan Olahraga Nasional
The Pekan Olahraga Nasional is a multi-sport event held every four years in Indonesia...

 and Southeast Asian Games
Southeast Asian Games
The Southeast Asian Games , is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia...

 with Indonesia as appear as one of the leading force in this sport. This martial art sport is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Cycling

Indonesia host some international road cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 tours; such as the annual Tour d'Indonesia
Tour d'Indonesia
Tour d'Indonesia is an annual road bicycle racing held in Indonesia. First staged in 2003, Tour d'Indonesia together with Tour de Singkarak and Tour de East Java is part of the Indonesian official tournament series of the Union Cycliste International...

, Tour de Singkarak
Tour de Singkarak
Tour de Singkarak is an annual road bicycle racing held in West Sumatra, Indonesia, and named after the Lake Singkarak. First staged in 2009, Tour de Singkarak together with Tour d'Indonesia and Tour de East Java is one of Indonesian official tournament series of Union Cycliste International...

 and Tour de East Java. Inspired by European Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

, these tours is one of the esteemed cycling event in Southeast Asian region and has attracted local as well as foreign cycling teams. Tour d'Indonesia usually started in Jakarta, across inland Java all the way eastward to to Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

, while Tour de Singkarak is held in West Sumatra
West Sumatra
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra. It borders the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast...

 touring around Lake Singkarak
Lake Singkarak
Lake Singkarak is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located between the cities of Padang Panjang and Solok. It has an area of 107.8 km², being approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide. The natural outlet for excess water is the Ombilin river which flows eastward to the Strait of...

. In track cycling
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....

 numbers, Indonesia is also one of the strongest in the region and often won gold medals in Southeast Asia Games. Indonesia have world class velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...

s in Rawamangun, Jakarta; and Kutai Kartanegara
Kutai Kartanegara
Kutai Kartanegara Regency is a regency in East Kalimantan Province , Indonesia.Regency has an area of 27,263.10 km² and the area waters approximately 4,097 km² which is divided in 18 districts and 225 villages, with a population reaching 540,994 people with population growth of 2.73%....

, East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan
East Kalimantan is the second largest Indonesian province, located on the Kalimantan region on the east of Borneo island. The resource-rich province has two major cities, Samarinda and Balikpapan...

, hailed as one of the best velodrome in Southeast Asia.

For non-athlete common Indonesians, riding bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

 is considered as the mode of transportation as well as a recreational and leisure sport. It is quite popular in Indonesia, especially during Car-Free Days in several cities. During weekends, especially around Saturday and Sunday morning, cyclist flocking Jakarta's main avenue such as Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Sudirman that is closed from cars, municipal authorities invited locals to have their sports and activities on the street. The Bike-to-Work community was established in Indonesia in 2005 to promote cyling as a cheap, healthy, and environment friendly mode of transportation to the workplace.

Extreme cycling, such as Mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...

 and urban Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...

 is also popular among youth in main cities of Indonesia.

Basketball

Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 is one of popular sport especially among Indonesian youth. Liga Bola Basket Nasional
National Basketball League (Indonesia)
The National Basketball League , in Indonesian: Liga Bola Basket Nasional, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's basketball league in Indonesia, competed by 10 clubs across the country. It is organised by DBL Indonesia and sanctioned by Perbasi...

 is the pre-eminent men's basketball league in Indonesia, competed by 10 clubs across the country. The competition started as Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2003. In 2010, Perbasi appointed DBL Indonesia to handle the competition and changed the league's name to National Basketball League (NBL).

Today, Indonesia and the Philippines are the major basketball powerhouse in Southeast Asia.

Boxing

Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 is a popular combative sport spectacle in Indonesia. Some of famous Indonesian boxers are Ellyas Pical
Ellyas Pical
Ellyas Pical was the first world boxing champion from Indonesia, and was three times IBF Super flyweight champion .In his childhood, Pical was a pearl diver, diving without equipment....

 and Nico Thomas
Nico Thomas
Nicholas Thomas is a professional boxer.-Background:Thomas is the 12th of 16 children of Julianus Thomas and Helena Thomas. Nico Thomas is father of 3 sons Devitho, Danitho and Marcellino, from his wife Farida Ade Yani-Thomas...

 back in 80's, Muhammad Rachman
Muhammad Rachman
Mohammad Rachman Sawaluddin bin Suhaimat , is a professional boxer."The Rock Breaker" won the IBF World Strawweight Championship by a split decision against Daniel Reyes of Colombia...

 and Chris John
Chris John (boxer)
Yohannes Christian John is an Indonesian professional boxer, and the current WBA featherweight champion....

 in 2000's.

Sepak takraw

Sepak takraw was spread from nearby Malacca across the strait to Riau islands and Riau area in Sumatra as early as 16th century, where it is also called as Sepak Raga in local Malay tongue, at that time some of Sumatran areas were part of Malacca sultanate. From there the Malay people spread across archipelago and introduced the game to Buginese people in Sulawesi. Then the game is developed as Buginese traditional game which is called "Raga" (the players are called "Pa'Raga"). The "Raga" can trace its origin from Malacca Sultanate, and was popular in South Sulawesi since 19th century. Some men playing "Raga" within a group, the ball is passed from one to another and the man who kicked the ball highest is the winner.

After Sepak takraw was developed into modern competitive sport in 1940's withs exact rules and scoring systems, Indonesia has become one of major sepak takraw power in the region, competing against Thailand and Malaysian teams.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 also played in Indonesia, which was first played in Indonesia by Australian soldiers in 1945 in Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...

 and also Ngada.

It is currently played in Indonesia by expatriate Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n clubs in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

 and a club under formation (as of 2006) in Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 35 meters. The city regency covers an area of 64 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census had a population of 219,070 people...

, as well as a league consisting of villagers around the Pancawati area in West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...

. The Jakarta Bintangs and Bali Geckoes regularly compete in the Java-Bali Cup and participate in the Asian Australian Football Championships
Asian Australian Football Championships
The Asian Australian Football Championships are an annual tournament of Australian rules football between mainly expat-Australian teams from around Asia.-History:...

.

Founded in 2003, the West Java Australian Football League (WeJAFL) has over 500 local junior and senior players in the local competition. The large number of local players makes it the Asian nation with the highest participation rate amongst locals, although an Indonesian team has not yet appeared at the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...

.

Rugby Union

Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 is a minor but growing sport in Indonesia. Is it particularly established in West Papua, trailing only football in popularity.

Polo

Polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...

 and other equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

 sports have a deep history in Indonesia, dating back to 1930s in the era of Dutch settlement. Once the effects of 1998 economic crisis faded away, this equestrian sport, especially polo gained recognition and excitement among Indonesia's polo, equestrian and sports enthusiasts.

In Indonesia, polo is governed by the Indonesian Polo Association which stands together with PP. PORDASI under KONI. The Indonesian Polo Team represented Indonesia in the 2007 South East Asian Games in Thailand and had good results in South East Asian regional competitions. Indonesia only has one polo field at Nusantara Polo Club.

Competitions

The Pekan Olahraga Nasional (National Games) are held every four years. Indonesia also participates in international sporting events such as the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

 (see Indonesia at the Olympics
Indonesia at the Olympics
Indonesia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1964 and 1980, when they participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics...

). the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...

 and the South East Asian Games (SEA Games).
2011 SEA Games will be held at Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

 and Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...

.

Indonesia Seven Summits Expedition

In July 8, 2011 08:35am local time four Indonesian students have reached the peak of the Mount McKinley. So, the mission to scale all of the Seven Summits in Indonesia Seven Summits Expedition
Indonesia Seven Summits Expedition
Indonesia Seven Summits Expedition is a team from Indonesia that attempt to reach all the Seven Summits before or at Proclamation of Indonesian Independence date celebration on August 17, 2011...

 have been accomplished. All of the four students are the first Indonesians getting the title of the Seven Summiteers.

See also

  • Indonesia Super League
  • National Basketball League
    National Basketball League (Indonesia)
    The National Basketball League , in Indonesian: Liga Bola Basket Nasional, often abbreviated to the NBL, is the pre-eminent men's basketball league in Indonesia, competed by 10 clubs across the country. It is organised by DBL Indonesia and sanctioned by Perbasi...

  • Proliga
    Proliga (Indonesia)
    Voli Proliga is the Indonesian professional top level competition for volleyball clubs. It is organised by Persatuan Bola Voli Seluruh Indonesia or Indonesian Volleyball Association. There are both men's and women's competition...

  • Indonesian Futsal League
    Indonesian Futsal League
    Indonesian Futsal League is the official main competition for professional futsal clubs in Indonesia...


External links

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