Jakarta, June 17 -- Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir said the ministry remains open to athlete naturalization across all sports as part of efforts to strengthen Indonesia's performance in international competitions.

"As long as our diaspora have the spirit of nationalism, whether in football, swimming, or other sports, we are open," he remarked at the working meeting with the Minister of Law and Commission XIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) regarding the application to grant Indonesian citizenship to two football athletes, Luke Anthony Vickery and Mitchell Lee Baker, on Wednesday.

Thohir considered the current phenomenon of sports globalization unavoidable, making naturalization a strategic effort to improve ...