MITRAPOL.com, Jakarta – President of the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation (ASTAF) and Secretary General of the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF), Datuk Abdul Halim Kader, has praised the quality and competence of Indonesia’s young sepak takraw referees following their participation in the ASTAF Referee Training Course held at Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ) in East Jakarta.
The appreciation was delivered during the closing ceremony of the ASTAF Referee Training on Sunday (July 19, 2026). The four day program, held from July 16 to July 19, 2026, was attended by 43 referee candidates representing 27 provinces across Indonesia.
The broad participation from various regions reflects Indonesia’s strong commitment to enhancing the quality of human resources in national sepak takraw officiating.
Speaking to the media, Datuk Halim Kader said the participants had demonstrated skills that exceeded expectations. He also highlighted the productive age range of the referees, whom he believes are fully prepared to officiate at major competitions.
“The young referees, ranging from their twenties to their fifties, have demonstrated excellent officiating skills. ASTAF has entrusted these Indonesian referees with responsibilities to officiate in upcoming championships, and we will also assign these young referees to international duties beginning on November 28,” said Datuk Halim.
According to him, the achievement is a positive indicator for the future development of Indonesian sepak takraw officiating at both the Southeast Asian and international levels.
He expressed hope that Indonesia would continue producing highly qualified referees capable of meeting the standards required by international governing bodies.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Sepak Takraw Association (PSTI), Dr. Sarianto, welcomed the successful completion of the training program, which produced dozens of newly certified referees from across the country.
“Alhamdulillah, we have successfully concluded the ASTAF Referee Training at Universitas Negeri Jakarta. Through this program, we have certified 43 referees from 27 provinces across Indonesia. All participants have completed the curriculum and training materials established by ASTAF,” said Sarianto.
He explained that the program is part of PSTI’s longterm strategy to strengthen the regeneration of qualified referees throughout Indonesia, ensuring every province has competent officiating personnel.
PSTI also plans to expand similar referee training programs to more provinces, allowing greater numbers of prospective referees to obtain nationally and internationally recognized qualifications.
“Our hope is to ensure the continuous regeneration of referees, particularly in Indonesia. We plan to open referee training registrations in several provinces so that the newly certified officials can immediately officiate competitions at both the national and international levels,” he added.
With the graduation of 43 new referees from 27 provinces, PSTI expects the quality of sepak takraw competitions throughout Indonesia to continue improving through professional, consistent, and internationally recognized officiating standards in accordance with ASTAF regulations.
