Sometimes, a great journey begins with a simple decision. That was the case for Muhammad Nizar Nayaruddin. When he first arrived at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), he simply wanted to try an activity outside the classroom. His choice fell on the UNY Futsal Student Activity Unit.
Little did he know, that simple decision would open a long path that would take him from the campus futsal court to the Asian sports stage. The alumnus of UNY’s Elementary School Physical Education Study Program is now known as one of the goalkeepers of the Indonesian National Futsal Team.
Before taking futsal more seriously, Nizar had already been familiar with football since his school years. Born in Sragen, Central Java, he grew up with a passion for sports and actively trained throughout his teenage years. When he later moved to Yogyakarta to study at UNY, his sporting journey found a new direction.
Joining UNY’s Futsal Student Activity Unit became a turning point. The competitive campus environment and strong culture of achievement encouraged Nizar to develop his skills more seriously. “At first, I only wanted to try an activity outside lectures. But over time, I found a great passion for futsal. From this campus, I began to learn and grow until I finally had the opportunity to play at a higher level,” Nizar said.
With the UNY futsal team, Nizar helped the university achieve various accomplishments in intercollegiate competitions. His consistent performances in goal gradually drew the attention of professional clubs.
The opportunity to move further came in 2018, when Nizar joined Vamos FC Mataram. At the club, his abilities continued to mature. His sharp reflexes, ability to read the game, and accurate ball distribution made him an important figure between the posts. His performances with the club later opened the way to the Indonesian National Futsal Team.
Since joining the Indonesian senior national futsal squad in 2019, Nizar has been part of the Red and White’s journey in various competitions. One of his major achievements came at the 2024 AFF Futsal Championship, when Indonesia emerged as champion.
Two years later, Nizar again became part of Indonesian futsal history. At the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup, Indonesia advanced to the final and finished as runner-up, marking the country’s best achievement in the tournament to date. Nizar currently plays for Pangsuma FC of West Kalimantan and remains a key figure in goal. Yet amid his busy life as a professional athlete and national team player, he has never set aside education.
After completing his previous studies, Nizar continued his education at the master’s level at UNY. For him, sports and education are not two paths that must be chosen separately, but two things that can move forward together. “Being a professional athlete is not a reason to leave education behind. Education is a very important long-term investment. I am grateful that UNY provides space for student-athletes to grow, both academically and in sports,” he said. That experience has also shaped Nizar’s hopes for his alma mater. He hopes UNY will continue to grow as one of Indonesia’s leading centers for sports education and produce more talents capable of bringing pride to the nation at the international level.
“UNY has a very strong ecosystem for developing both athletes and academics. I hope this campus will continue to grow into an outstanding university in the field of sports and produce new generations who can carry Indonesia’s name onto the world stage,” he said.
Muhammad Nizar Nayaruddin’s journey proves that great achievements can grow from a campus environment. From UNY’s futsal court, he learned about hard work, discipline, and the courage to keep developing. From there, his steps continued to the national stage and eventually to Asia’s highest-level futsal competition.
Today, every time he wears the national team jersey and stands between the posts for Indonesia, Nizar does more than guard the Red and White’s goal. He also carries a story of perseverance, of dreams nurtured with dedication, of education maintained amid the demands of professional sport, and of a campus that once became the place where he found his path.
From UNY to the Asian stage, Nizar shows that when education, talent, and hard work move together, dreams that once felt distant can gradually become reality.
