Having ascended through the party ranks to head Golkar’s youth wing, the Indonesian Reform Youth Force (AMPI), from 2017 to 2022, Dito replaces his senior by 28 years, Zainudin Amali, who resigned last month after he was elected deputy chief of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI).

Golkar chairman and Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto, as well as and Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, who served as the interim sports minister after Zainudin stepped down, were present at the inauguration ceremony, which also saw police general Comr. Gen. Rycko Amelza Dahniel appointed as the new head of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).

Speaking to the press after his inauguration, Dito said his first order of business was to prepare the country’s athletes for upcoming international events.

“In terms of the SEA Games and the Asian Games, the President wants us to prioritize the branches of sports that [Indonesia] stands a chance of winning medals in. So we have to be efficient,” Dito said.

The South East Asian (SEA) Games and the Asian Games are set to be held in May and September this year, respectively.

Dito added that Jokowi had instructed him to help make sporting events more accessible to the public, including those at the school and university levels and between local communities.

He had also been tasked, he said, with improving the country’s youth development index by cultivating the sports business and instilling a greater sense of professionalism among young people.

“The president really cares and wants the Indonesian sports industry ecosystem to progress and become more established,” Dito noted.

The youth development index is used by the Youth and Sports Ministry to measure the levels of education, health, welfare, employment, leadership and gender discrimination among young people in a given province.

Prior to his Cabinet appointment, Dito, the son of the former president director of state-owned metal miner PT Aneka Tambang (Antam), Arie Prabowo Ariotedjo, had been serving as Airlangga’s protegé since 2022.

Alongside his political exploits, Dito has made a name for himself in the sporting world. In 2018, he was the head of Indonesia’s delegation for the Youth Olympics, held that year in Argentina.

Three years later, he linked up with celebrity entrepreneur Raffi Ahmad to found the RANS Nusantara Football Club (RANS FC) and the RANS PIK basketball team. Both teams play in the nation’s top leagues for their respective sports.

He also held a senior position in the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Bicycle Sports Association (ISSI) and is now sitting on the Indonesian Basketball Association’s (Perbasi) advisory board.

Young blood

At just 32 years old, Dito overtakes Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Makarim as Jokowi’s youngest minister. He is also the youngest youth and sports minister since the start of the Reform era.

Dito was chosen over two other young Golkar politicians: current AMPI head Ilham Permana and House of Representatives lawmaker Puteri Komarudin, the daughter of former House speaker Ade Komarudin.

Political analyst Arya Fernandes of the ​​Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) suggested that Jokowi was attempting to appeal to a younger generation with Dito’s appointment.

Citing a CSIS survey from October 2022, Arya said the Indonesian youth of today tended to show more interest in politics and were more outspoken about their opinions than previous generations. The survey also estimated that voters under the age of 40 would account for more than half the ballots cast in the 2024 general election.

“In the remaining time Jokowi has left [in office], I think he is eager to introduce a fresh face,” Arya told The Jakarta Post on Monday. “Knowing that the youth are as politically engaged as ever, I think the President appointed Dito to have them actually represented in his Cabinet.”

Into the big league

But despite Dito’s track record in sports, Arya noted he was being thrown directly into a difficult situation as the new sports minister, particularly in light of the recent cancellation of the U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.

“Aside from soccer, we know that numerous other branches of sports are either underfunded or poorly managed. This puts the public’s expectations for widespread reform in sports at an all-time high, particularly since the previous minister, despite being a senior politician, did not get it done and instead resigned,” Arya said.

With only 18 months left before Jokowi’s presidency ends in 2024, Arya was unconvinced that Dito would be able to bring about sweeping reforms, predicting that he would likely focus on a smaller subset of issues.