5 Most Popular Sports for Children in Indonesia

Indonesia always have good spirit about sports, locally or internationally Indonesia has achievements that sometimes even the people in the country don’t know about it but it is recognized worldwide. Indonesia always participate in Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, Olympic Games and others. The athletes who participate in this events comes from different provinces in Indonesia. Parents in Indonesia usually motivates their children to do sports, whether making them take lessons or even play sports together as a family and maybe some children have a hobby and take seriously on the sports. There are lots of sports in Indonesia, but now let see the 5 most popular sports for children in Indonesia.

1. Badminton

Badminton is the most common sport in Indonesia and most successful. Indonesia has won gold medals in badminton in every Olympic Games since the sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1992, except in 2012. No wonder this is one of the sport that children may participate in Indonesia. With a racket and a shuttlecock the sports can be played easily, people may set up a match in a nearby field or sometimes in front of their house, sometimes using a line as a net.

In school, Badminton is also one of the sports that is taught from elementary school up until high school. This is one of the reason that badminton maybe the first sport that children in Indonesia interested in. Beside that there was also a badminton scholarship by Djarum, which really supports children that love this sport and wanted to become a badminton athlete.

2. Football

Football or soccer is popular around the world, you can even watch it in multiple channel TV, whether it is International matches or regional matches. Around the neighborhood there is sometimes football field in an empty land.  This is one of the sports that bring children around the neighborhood know each other or make them get along with each other. With only a ball they can play in small or big groups, usually it is participated by boys from a young age and maybe up to adults.

Since Indonesia’s independence, football has become one of the popular sports. There are many football stadium that is available in different region of Indonesia. The national body is the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI). Lots of children especially boys are interested in football, and some of them want a career as a football player. There are football school that is available for children to join.

3. Basketball

Basketball in Indonesia are more common in High School Student but sometimes also in Junior High. It is commonly known in the society that being a basketball player may make them popular in school. Additionally there is a basketball league that is dedicated to the junior and high school students throughout Indonesia, which is DBL. DBL stands for Development Basketball League, this league will take regional students to compete in the national level.

Sometimes students from the DBL they may even have a chance to be in one of the 10 popular clubs across the country, if they want to be an athlete. Indonesia national basketball team has the biggest success of gaining gold at the 1996 Southeast Asian Basketball Championship.

4. Futsal

Many people may think that Futsal is the same as football or soccer. The difference between the two is football is an outdoor game while futsal is an indoor game. It is played in a field that is different in size because futsal is in a smaller field. The ball that is used in futsal is smaller. This is another most popular sports for children in Indonesia, it is supported by many futsal field that is available. Childrens will rent a futsal field with their friends and will spent an hour to two hours of playing futsal. This becomes a favorite activity between children to be able to social with their friends, instead of just hanging out.

There are many futsal competition that is held by schools or event organizers with prize money which attracts children and motivates them to join. Indonesia also has an Indonesia Pro Futsal League which is the top league for futsal in Indonesia.  It is organized by Indonesian Futsal Federation.

5. Swimming

Indonesia has a lots of beaches, lakes, rivers and swimming pool. There is the standard pool for swimming competition, water park or even a pool in a hotel.  If you live in a village in Indonesia, maybe going to the lake or the river is the place for you to swim. By this, children will be taught by their parents how to swim, other than that in school there will be swimming lesson as a requirement for physical education. Swimming is one of the go to sports because it is a refreshing activity for the whole family.

There are swimming school, and many swimming clubs in Indonesia. Same as the other sports there is also regional up to national competition for swimming. The competition is not only for adults but there is also junior swimming competition. Lots of parents also think that swimming is a must skill to survive in case of any emergencies.

In the end, some of the most popular sports in Indonesia become children’s favorite sports also since they be influenced by what they see or motivated by their parents. Beside the 5 most popular sports in Indonesia that has been mentioned, there are other popular sports like volleyball and a native Indonesian martial art pencak silat. There are many potential children in Indonesia that want to become athlete and eventually will become one because there are many facilities and certain schools for the sports that they are interested in.