Indonesia and Afghanistan Explore Sports Cooperation

RRI.CO,ID, Jakarta - Indonesia and Afghanistan are looking to strengthen ties through sports collaboration, following a meeting between Indonesian Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Taufik Hidayat and Afghanistan’s Director General of Physical Education and Sports Ahmadullah Wasiq in Jakarta on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.

During the discussion, Wasiq highlighted the rapid growth of Afghanistan’s sports ecosystem, noting that the country now has more than 1,000 sports practitioners and 72 national federations actively developing their programs.

“The Afghan government strongly supports sports, as reflected in the achievements of our athletes who have won numerous medals in international competitions,” Wasiq said, as quoted on the Indonesian Ministry of Youth and Sports official website. 

He added that opportunities for collaboration with Indonesia are wide open, particularly in sports such as futsal, football, wrestling, and cricket.

Deputy Minister Taufik welcomed the proposal, stressing that Indonesia values strong bilateral relations, including through sports diplomacy. “We appreciate this initiative and will study the potential areas of cooperation that can be pursued in the near future,” he said.

Taufik mentioned possible forms of collaboration, including joint training camps and coach exchange programs. He also underlined Indonesia’s strengths in several sports, particularly badminton, which could serve as a platform for mutual growth.

“We hope this cooperation will help advance sports development in both countries,” Taufik concluded. ***