ACEH TAMIANG — Behind every medal lies a long journey. There is sweat, discipline, perseverance, failure, and the courage to rise again.
For Hendriko Lubis, a candidate for Chairman of KONI Aceh Tamiang, sports should not be viewed merely as an arena for pursuing achievements. More importantly, sports are an important means of shaping character and the future of young people.
Hendriko conveyed this perspective to members of the media in Karang Baru, Thursday (September 17, 2026).
Through sports, young people learn discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork, responsibility, perseverance, and the importance of appreciating the process.
Achievements Are the Fruit, Development Is the Root
Hendriko believes that athletes’ achievements cannot be built instantly. Young people with potential must be identified, nurtured, and given continuous opportunities to compete.
“If we want to see achievements in the future, development must begin today. We should not wait until a competition is approaching before looking for athletes,” said Hendriko, emphasizing his vision for sports development.
Therefore, sports development needs to reach schools, villages, sub-districts, and the district level. The broader the opportunities for development, the greater the possibility of discovering new sporting talents.
Keeping the Young Generation Away from Negative Activities
Sports also have strong social value.
When young people have opportunities to train, compete, and develop their talents, they gain a positive environment to spend their time and build healthy social relationships.
A sports field is not merely a place for competition. It is also where young people learn that victory requires hard work and that defeat is not the end of the journey.
KONI and Sports Federations Must Think About the Future
According to Hendriko, sports development cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of athletes. It requires cooperation among KONI, sports federations, coaches, schools, government, families, and the wider community.
Therefore, communication between KONI and sports federations is an important part of building a sustainable sports development system.
“We do not only want to produce champions for today. We want to prepare a generation that is healthy, disciplined, and accomplished for the future of Aceh Tamiang,” he said.
From Small Fields to Great Achievements
It is possible that a future champion of Aceh Tamiang is currently training on a simple sports field.
It is also possible that great talent exists in a village that has not yet received serious sports development.
The question is not whether they have potential, but whether the sports system is capable of identifying and developing that potential.
Hendriko Lubis’ ideas place this issue among the areas of attention in the direction of sports development in Aceh Tamiang.
Because ultimately, medals are only symbols. The greatest impact of sports is when young people grow into a generation that is healthy, disciplined, sportsmanlike, confident, and capable of achieving excellence.
Strong sports, great generation. From today’s development comes Aceh Tamiang’s achievements of tomorrow.
(SIPS)
