Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir praised young Indonesian billiards player Albert Januarta for demonstrating Indonesia's prowess on the international stage by winning the 2026 Junior Las Vegas Open in Las Vegas, United States.
"This result (Albert Januarta's victory) shows that Indonesia has potential athletes who can demonstrate Indonesia's superiority in the eyes of the world," wrote Erick Thohir through the narration in the video of Albert Januarta's performance uploaded to his official social media and monitored.
Albert emerged victorious at the 2026 Junior Las Vegas Open after a tight final against host country Sofia Mast of the United States. In the final, Albert displayed composure and consistency, ultimately winning the match 2–1, securing the title for Indonesia.
The Minister of Youth and Sports explained that this success was not an instant achievement. Albert had previously achieved various accomplishments at the international junior level, including winning the 2024 Indonesia International Junior Open, the 2024 Hanoi Junior Open, and the 2025 Saudi Arabia Junior Open.
This series of achievements is proof of Albert's consistency in competing at the international level from a young age.
