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| PSSI Confirms Youth Development in National Football Continues. |
JAKARTA, PEWARTA – The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing youth development programs across all age categories, ensuring that no age group is overlooked.
This statement was delivered by PSSI Executive Committee (Exco) member Arya Sinulingga during a national survey presentation by Indonesia's Political Indicator, themed "Public Attitudes Towards the Naturalization Policy for National Team Players," attended virtually from Jakarta on Tuesday.
"We confirm that youth development is ongoing. There is no age category that we are not addressing," Arya Sinulingga was quoted by ANTARA as saying.
Arya outlined that the development programs cover all levels, from the U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams to the senior national team. He highlighted the achievement of Indonesia’s national teams across all age groups in qualifying for the Asian Cup, a milestone demonstrating the success of these initiatives.
According to Arya, this achievement is a historic moment for Indonesian football, positioning Indonesia among only nine countries in Asia to have qualified teams in every age group for this prestigious competition.
Furthermore, Arya explained that player naturalization efforts are intended to strengthen the national team, with both short-term and medium-term objectives in mind.
The PSSI estimates that approximately 150 players are needed to fill all age categories of the national team. Player selection remains focused on maintaining the necessary quality and capabilities.
"I think there’s no need to debate this matter anymore, as we are naturalizing players who have Indonesian heritage, and it’s natural that diaspora players want to contribute to our nation," he stated.
PSSI also emphasized that naturalization is not exclusively focused on the senior team. Arya reaffirmed PSSI's commitment to nurturing young talent as a strategic long-term approach to building a strong, competitive national team at all levels.
"So, we are not only focusing on senior players, which people claim is dominated by naturalized players; we are actively working on all levels of development," Arya concluded.
