The Deputy Mayor of South Tangerang (Tangsel), Pilar Saga Ichsan, officially opened the Banten Province High School Student Basketball Championship held at the Indonesian Institute of Technology (ITI) on Saturday (1/8/2026). During the opening ceremony, Pilar reminded the participants not to forget the importance of academic achievements amidst their enthusiasm for pursuing sports accomplishments.
Pilar specifically encouraged the young generation to start looking into and studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to him, Indonesia currently requires an abundant supply of human resources in the engineering sector to support the acceleration of national development.
He assessed that ITI has a solid reputation for producing skilled technocrats in the country. As a long-established engineering campus, ITI is seen as one of the best higher education options for students who want to make a real contribution through technological innovation.
"The spirit of competition, discipline, teamwork, and the never-give-up mentality formed on the basketball court are valuable assets. These positive character traits are highly needed when students continue their education to the higher education level," said Pilar.
As a graduate of the Professional Engineer Program at ITI, Pilar shared his personal experience regarding the quality of engineering education he experienced firsthand. He hopes that Banten's young athletes do not see sports and academics as two opposing choices, but rather as mutually supporting elements to produce an outstanding and competitive generation.
