The government, through the Ministry of Law, has officially authorized the registration of four Russian athletes, namely Evgenii Nurislamov, Savelii Molchanov, Artem Bezrukov, and Adel Khabibullin, to strengthen the Indonesian National Ice Hockey Team.
The four athletes officially received Indonesian citizenship after taking the oath and pledge of allegiance to citizenship in Jakarta on Sunday.
The Director General of General Legal Administration (AHU) at the Ministry of Law, Widodo, stated that the Indonesian government will remain committed to developing national sports through the search for superior talent, both domestically and through 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, according to his written statement.
He explained that athlete naturalization is regulated by Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia. Citizenship is granted through mechanisms that address national interests or are granted to 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 said.
In the naturalization process of the four athletes, the Ministry of Law through the Directorate General of AHU together with the Ministry of State Secretariat, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Indonesian Ice Hockey Federation considered, examined, and researched so that the naturalization application could be approved.
Not only that, the athletes also went through a series of other processes and stages, such as attending joint meetings between the government, sports organizations, and the House of Representatives to seek consideration from parliament.
