Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo opened the first series of the Brick Parkour Asian Tour 2023 in Tangerang, Banten, on Saturday.
In a statement issued here the same day, he expressed gratitude for the parkour event, which is being held from August 12 to 13, 2023, in Indonesia.
"I praise the Indonesian Gymnastics Association (Persani) for bringing this Parkour Asian Tour. We know that parkour is a sport that combines agility and lifestyle. It is an urban sport," Ariotedjo said here on Saturday.
According to him, parkour, which originated in France, has caught the interest of many young people.
"We can see (most of) the participants are young people who are ready to jump up and down and run around. It is one of the sports for young people," he remarked.
He said that parkour reflects the energy of youths who like challenging activities.
He expressed the hope that the first series in Indonesia will promote parkour sports among the public.
The Brick Asian Tour will next be held in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
"I hope parkour can be popularized. Hopefully, young people can invite their friends to parkour," he said.
He further said he hopes that more parkour arenas and spots can be built in order to develop the sport.
At least 285 participants have joined the first series of the Brick Asian Tour 2023 and are contesting under three categories: speed, freestyle, and skill.
Four international athletes — Javier Rodriguez (Mexico), Caryl Cordt-Moller (Switzerland), Audrey Johnson (United States), and Stephanie (Australia) — will compete with the winners in each category.
"For the participants, show your maximal skills. The Youth and Sports Ministry always supports parkour and gymnastics. The most important thing is the participants must bring Indonesia to the world level," Ariotedjo said.
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