State University of Surabaya (Unesa), together with the Central National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI) and the Indonesian Sports Dean Forum (FDKI), officially launched the 'Sport Intelligence Indonesia' declaration. The momentum taking place at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences (FIKK) Unesa on Tuesday (7/7/2026) marks a new era in the transformation of national sports development, which now focuses on the integration of science and technology.
The declaration was led directly by the General Chairman of Central KONI, Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Marciano Norman, accompanied by the Chairman of FDKI, Nurul Ihsan, and the Rector of Unesa, Prof. Nurhasan. This initiative brings a grand vision to shift the paradigm of athlete development from natural talent-based to scientific data-driven (evidence-based) approaches and artificial intelligence technological innovations.
General Chairman of Central KONI, Marciano Norman, emphasized that this step is crucial in Indonesia's efforts to reach the top 10 target at the 2032 Olympics. According to him, glory on the international stage cannot be achieved solely through hard work, but must be supported by a strong research ecosystem to compete globally.
Responding to this mandate, the Rector of Unesa, affectionately known as Cak Hasan, stated his campus's readiness as a center for research and human resources development in sports. Unesa is committed to providing infrastructure and supporting experts to realize an 'evidence-based coaching' program aimed at producing high-performing athletes.
Through synergy between higher education institutions, the government, and the sports industry, this declaration is expected to become a solid foundation in accelerating national sports achievements. All parties agreed that strengthening the 'Sport Intelligence' aspect is the main key to facing the increasingly intense challenges of modern sports competition.
