The 2025 Asian Cadets & Junior Judo Championship, held from September 11-15 at the Gelora Bung Karno Indoor Tennis Stadium in Jakarta, is expected to be a learning experience for young Indonesian judokas participating in the competition.
The General Chairman of the Indonesian Judo Association (PB PJSI), General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak, said that the championship, which was attended by 22 countries and 394 athletes, was an opportunity for national judokas to see international standards from an early age.
"We also want to show our athletes that they've been playing very well since they were young. That's what we really want to show Indonesian athletes," Maruli said in Jakarta on Thursday.
He added that this championship also set a new record for participation, as it was one of the largest cadet and junior tournaments ever held. Maruli stated that 22 countries participated, with a total of 394 athletes.
"So hopefully this will be the start of our future to be even better," he said.
Regarding youth player development, Maruli acknowledged that limited funding remains a barrier to sending judokas to international events. However, the Indonesian Judo Association (PJSI) continues to strive to provide as much experience as possible by sending a number of athletes to international competitions.
"Currently, we send a maximum of 6-7 people to each event. Hopefully, in the future, after they see the extraordinary preparations of these countries, from cadets to juniors, this will motivate our young athletes. We will try to send as many athletes as possible," he said.
In recent tournaments, Indonesian athletes have begun to show positive results. "In Oman, we won one gold medal and three silver medals," said Maruli.
This championship itself is not a selection event for the 2025 SEA Games, but it is hoped that it can provide valuable provisions for young national judokas to improve their quality and competitive mentality.
The Asian Cadets & Junior Judo Championship is an official annual event of the Asian Judo Federation (JUA). The 2025 edition in Jakarta will be the first time Indonesia has been chosen to host the cadet and junior age group events.
