Jakarta (ANTARA) - Some members of the public have suggested the Jakarta International Stadium (JIS) in North Jakarta to be renamed after the national hero Mohammad Husni Thamrin, who hailed from Jakarta.
Historian J. J. Rizal stated that the stadium's name must be dedicated to figures, who played a greater role in various national aspects apart from sports, which Thamrin had exemplified by utilizing football to advance his nationalistic struggle for Indonesia's independence.
"The name will match the grandeur of the building with Husni Thamrin's monumental role and struggle in the national football and nationalism movement as a single face of Indonesia," Rizal stated during the online seminar "Why MH Thamrin must be the official name of JIS" here on Monday.
The historian highlighted that Thamrin understood the potential of sports to advance the national movement. He was the founder of Jakarta-based football club Voetbalbond Indonesische Jacarta (VIJ), the first football club with the "Indonesia" name, which the Dutch colonial authority at that time raised a warning to, he pointed out.
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