Denpasar, Bali, May 4 -- Indonesian Minister of Youth and Sports, Erick Thohir, asked ministers in the ASEAN region to establish international-scale sporting events beyond the SEA Games to strengthen regional collaboration.

After opening the 2026 Southeast Asia Ministerial Meeting on Youth and Sports held in Sanur, Bali, on Monday, Thohir conveyed the great potential in Southeast Asia to develop joint sports championships, given that the region is home to approximately 650 million people and is experiencing rapid economic growth.

He believes that the sports tourism and sports industry sectors can be important pillars in the region's future economic development.

"We have a region with 650 million people. It is one of the largest in the ...