Jakarta officially welcomed a new citizen into the national sports arena. Mitchell Lee Baker, a 19-year-old young footballer, officially took the oath of allegiance to become an Indonesian Citizen (WNI) in a state ceremony held at the Directorate General of General Legal Administration (AHU) Building, Ministry of Law, South Jakarta, on Monday (13/7).
The ceremony was witnessed directly by the Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Erick Thohir. Mitchell, who previously held Australian citizenship, acquired Indonesian citizenship through lineage. His grandfather, Han Koen Lie, was recorded as being born in Yogyakarta, while his grandmother, Li Nio The Lie, originated from Semarang.
Director General of AHU, Widodo, emphasized in his speech that this naturalization is not merely a change of citizenship documents, but a strategic step by the government to improve the competitive quality of the Indonesian national football team. This policy refers to Law No. 12 of 2006, which allows the granting of citizenship to individuals deemed to have rendered services or contributed to the interests of the state.
Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir expressed appreciation for the completion of the naturalization process. He stressed that the presence of overseas athletes of Indonesian descent is part of the government's long-term strategy to achieve performance targets in various international events, including the SEA Games, Asian Games, and the ambition to reach the World Cup.
“The government is fully committed to embracing the potential of athletes of Indonesian descent who possess high qualification. This is taken as an acceleration step to raise the Red and White flag on the world's highest podium, without neglecting grass-root athlete development in the slightest,” said Erick Thohir.
This step complements the positive trend of naturalization previously proven to have a significant impact on other sports, such as swimming, which successfully contributed gold medals for Indonesia. The government hopes that Mitchell's integration into the national football ecosystem will inject new energy into the progress of sports achievements in the country.
