Indonesian Athletes Ready to Give Their Best

After months of preparations, Indonesia’s athletes will prove their skills in representing the nation at the 2018 Asian Games. Various steps are being taken to ensure that the athletes will be in prime shape during the Games.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Indonesian handball athlete Bagas (center) attempts to score amid a defensive move from Hong Kong player Dilyadav Singh (right) in the Group C qualifier for the 2018 Asian Games on Monday (13/8/2018) at the POPKI sports complex in Cibubur, Jakarta. Indonesia lost 17-40.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Indonesian athletes’ preparations for the 2018 Asian Games did not always proceed smoothly. After the country finished fifth at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the government dissolved the Satlak Prima task force, which was responsible for the national training camps (pelatnas). The move, followed by new rules, led to a delay in setting up pelatnas for the majority of sports.

The national training camps were only reestablished earlier this year. Since then, the athletes have been training hard to give their best at this year’s Asian Games, which Indonesia is hosting for the second time in 56 years. The opportunity should give a moral boost for athletes, as local fans will be able to support them at the sports venues.

After undergoing a tight selection and a long training period, the pelatnas has entered the final stage of preparations. Compared to athletes in other sports, our badminton players have been among the busiest this year, participating in numerous international tournaments since May, including the Thomas-Uber Cup and the BWF World Championships.

In the past two weeks, members of the Cipayung badminton pelatnas have been focusing on tackling their technical flaws. Apart from analyzing their opponents’ strengths, they have undergone special drills on using various techniques, hitting shuttlecocks hundreds of times in a single session.

The have also been monitoring their physical condition to avoid injury and illness ahead of the Games. “[They] should not eat spicy foods or drink iced beverages. They should immediately change clothes when they become too damp. These are little things, but they have a big influence,” said Susy Susanti, a former shuttler and the sports development head of the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI).

To maximize preparations, the PBSI has put up the shuttlers at hotels in the Senayan area near the Asian Games badminton venue. The PBSI has also put up the supporting staff at the hotels, comprising physiotherapists, masseurs, doctors, nutritionists, video analysts, psychologists, general assistants and drivers. “If we stay at the Athletes Village, there is a limit to the number of delegates that can stay there,” Susy said.

Competition mindset

The athletes of other sports have reduced their training hours and have begun focusing on mental training for competition. Lifter Triyatno, who will compete in the 69-kilogram class, said that he was now training only twice a day. The athletes were also taking hot-cold water therapy, sauna and massages. Triyatno said he was not too nervous, as he had participated in many championships. “Once I step onto the stage, I only think about myself,” he said.

The efforts to maintain their competition mindset were also apparent among the athletes on the national sepak takraw team. Coach Arry Syam said the athletes were trained according to their playing positions so they would understand their roles. “For example, strikers should be persistent, strong and daring,” Arry said.

Meanwhile, the national table tennis team has arranged their training camp to resemble the configuration of the Asian Games venue, to help players adapt quickly during the Games. Coach Haryono Wong Tye said that the athletes would train at the venue only three days before their matches.

The roller sport team is also in its final stages of training for the Games. The athletes are focusing on simulation competition, discussing strategies and increasing their speed. They have reduced their training period to two 1-hour sessions a day.

Some athletes must maintain their persistence despite less-than-ideal practice conditions. For instance, Indonesia’s 17 shooters were forced to overnight for 12 days in their locker room, as they could not yet stay at the Jakabaring Athletes Village. It was only on Monday (13/8/2018) that they finally moved into the Athletes Village.

The Youth and Sports Ministry’s deputy of sports achievement improvement, Mulyana, said that following a series of trial competitions, the ministry was certain that the athletes would give their best in the Asian Games. This year, Indonesia was targeting at least 10 golds and to be in the Top 10, as in Qatar in 2014.

Mulyana said that Indonesia’s mainstay sports, including pencak silat, paragliding, rock climbing, Jet Ski, bridge and wushu, would win the country golds in the Games. Indonesia could also expect golds from Olympic sports such as taekwondo, badminton, canoeing, weightlifting and rowing.

(IYA/DNA/KEL/KYE/RAM/E08)