Indonesia officially naturalized four ice hockey players from Russia, namely Evgenii Nurislamov, Savelii Molchanov, Artem Bezrukov and Adel Khabibullin at the Ministry of Law.
The four ice hockey athletes received Indonesian citizenship after taking the oath and pledge of allegiance through the naturalization mechanism.
The Director General of General Legal Administration of the Indonesian Ministry of Law , Widodo, said that the Indonesian government will continue to be committed to developing national sports through the search for superior talent within the country and naturalization.
"This momentum is not just about changing citizenship status, but also about great hopes and aspirations in building Indonesia's progress and continuing to strive for success for the nation we love," Widodo said after the swearing-in ceremony.
Widodo explained that athlete naturalization is regulated by Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia. In this case, citizenship is granted through mechanisms that address the state's interests or for foreigners who have rendered services to the country.
"There are regulations and laws governing naturalization, so naturalization is not just a change in citizenship status," he explained.
He added that the naturalization process of the Ministry of Law through the Directorate General of AHU is supported by the Ministry of State Secretariat, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and related Sports Organizations, in this case the Indonesian Ice Hockey Federation (FHEI), and the participation of a number of parties.
