JAKARTA — Commission X of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) is encouraging the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to expand the scope of sport science development in the country. Member of Commission X DPR RI, Ledia Hanifa Amaliah, emphasized that sports research should not be oriented merely towards improving athletes' physical performance, but must also be able to address the crucial needs of athletes with disabilities.
Ledia highlighted the significant technological quality gap in assistive equipment facing Indonesian para-athletes when competing on the international stage. In-depth observations at the Asian Para Games showed that foreign athletes are supported by ultra-lightweight titanium prosthetics and dynamic wheelchairs, while many national athletes still rely on relatively heavy equipment that limits their agility.
A similar situation occurs in amputee football and wheelchair table tennis. According to Ledia, developed countries are already capable of producing support equipment that is customized (customized) to the athlete's body anatomy. This demonstrates the importance of BRIN focusing research on material engineering, ergonomic design, and the establishment of disability-friendly national sports equipment standards.
Furthermore, the Secretary of the PKS Faction emphasized that modern sports are now highly dependent on the integration of science and technology. BRIN's steps in advancing research on equipment for the disabled not only have the potential to boost the achievements of Indonesian para-athletes globally, but also to drive a highly competitive, self-reliant domestic sports equipment industry.
