Taking Inspiration from Medals

Injury, defeat and grueling training may drain our national athletes’ energy, but also forge a fighting spirit to emerge as their unbeatable, best selves. A fully fueled spirit drives their motivation to become champions.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Indonesia rejoiced in the first two days of the 2018 Asian Games. By Monday (20/8/2018), the Red-and-White contingent had won four golds, two silvers and two bronzes. The medals came from sports that expected wins.

The host country fell short of the gold in the 48 kg category of women’s weightlifting to bring home the silver; however, mountain biking, in which the government did not target any gold medals, contributed two golds to the country.

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Rosmaniar Defia

On Sunday, taekwondo athlete Defia Rosmaniar won Indonesia’s first gold in the women’s individual poomsae event.

The three Indonesian golds on Monday came from women’s athletes Lindswell Kwok in wushu and Khoiful Mukhib and Tiara Andini Prastika in downhill cycling. Sri Wahyuni Agustiani contributed Monday’s silver in women’s 48 kg weightlifting, while the day’s two bronzes came from Surahmat in men’s 56 kg weightlifting and Nining Purwaningsih in women’s downhill cycling.

In claiming the medals, Indonesia’s athletes successfully defeated not only their opponents but also themselves. Many put their personal lives on hold and kept up their fight despite injuries in order to give their best for the country.

Wushu athlete Lindswell Kwok, who won gold in women’s taijiquan and taijijian on Monday at the JIExpo Kemayoran Sports Hall in Jakarta, has battled pain since she injured both knees in 2011. Her condition worsened in 2016 and 2017. In 2016, when she could not even walk up and down the stairs, she said that she wanted to retire from professional training and competition to recover fully.

“I forced myself to take part in the Asian Games. Now, it is enough,” said the five-time world wushu champion.

ANTARA FOTO/INASGOC/AKBAR NUGROHO GUMAY

Lindswell Kwok

Lindswell said that she was relieved to win gold at the Asian Games. She said that she felt she had given everything she could for Indonesia and that she now had no regrets about retiring. Her retirement, of course, would prompt the Indonesian Wushu Association (PBWI) to develop its seeded athletes to produce future Lindswells.

Women’s wushu athlete Juwita Niza Wasni was also motivated by a fiery spirit. The 2017 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games Kuala Lumpur medalist said that she would try her best at the 2018 Asiad, despite the severe ligament injury in her right knee. She also injured her left knee at a training camp in China. Juwita said that she felt a sharp pain every time she moved.

In women’s nanquan on Sunday (19/8), Juwita excelled and earned a score of 9.67, ranking her 4th among 12 athletes. However, she performed poorly in the nandao category, scoring only 9.30 and ranking 10th of 12 athletes.

Although she lost her chance at winning medals in nanquan and nandao, Juwita competed respectably, clearly in pain as she hobbled out off the arena.

Falls, sprained muscles and broken bones are among the risks downhill cyclists face. Tiara, Mukhib, Nining and Popo Ario Sejati, who competed on the downhill course at Khebun Park in Subang, West Java, said that they would continue to train and improve their skills despite the risks of the sport.

RAKARYAN SUKARJAPUTRA

Khoiful Mukhib

Their fighting spirit has helped them persevere through pain and injury. They hone their techniques through the ranks of seeded athletes, which included competing in the Indonesian Downhill that saw its eighth iteration in May. A special course was opened six months ago at Khebun Park to help them train.

The downhill cyclists have fought bravely to be the best in the 2018 Asian Games. Tiara, for example, continued to compete despite an injury to her right index finger. “I still feel the pain, but I just try to ignore it. The medical team has been very helpful in my finger’s recovery,” she said.

Tiara won gold after finishing in 2 minutes and 33.056 seconds, 9.598 seconds ahead of silver medalist Vipavee Deekaballes from Thailand.

Mukhib, who took the gold in men’s downhill, said that thoughts of his pregnant wife drove him. “I am glad that I won. I was sure I would get the gold. This is a gift for my wife, whose due date is approaching very soon,” he said. Mukhlis will receive a Rp 2.5 billion (US$171,601) cash prize that comprised Rp 1.5 billion from the government and Rp 1 billion from the Indonesian Cycling Federation (ISSI).

Medal drought

Indonesia has set a lofty ambition of winning from 16 to 20 gold medals and securing a place in the top 10. The country has targeted 13 golds from pencak silat, bridge, paragliding, jet ski and rock climbing, in addition to two golds from badminton and one from wushu. Weightlifting, rowing, canoeing and taekwondo are expected to contribute one gold each for a total target of 20 gold medals.

Most of the golds are targeted in non-Olympic sports, despite the large number of gold medals in Olympic sports events, including athletics (48 golds), swimming (40), gymnastics (18) and cycling (22). On the days when these sports dominate Asian Games news, it will seem as though Indonesia is experiencing a medal drought.

This was felt during the swimming final on Monday, when Indonesia failed to end its 28-year Asian Games medal drought with men’s swimmer I Gede Siman Sudartawa failing to win a single medal.

Siman had performed wonderfully in the qualifying heat, finishing the fastest at 25.01 seconds in the men’s 50 m backstroke – a national record and his only consolation at the 2018 Asiad.

(KYR/OKI/ECA/JON)