Hangzhou, China, ABIM (29/9/2023) – The Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Basuki Hadimuljono, Chef de Mission (CDM) of the 2023 Asian Games, and the Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Raja Sapta Oktohari presented Indonesian athletes’ medals to the media on Thursday (8/28) at the Olympic Sport Center in Hangzhou, China.
As of September 28th, according to Minister Basuki, Indonesia had obtained three gold, three silver, and eight bronze medals. Each sport is comprised of Shooting, Wushu, Canoeing or Rowing, and Skateboarding.
Surprisingly, Indonesian athletes set a new record for medals earned at the 19th Asian Games. “The historical record for the Sanda, or fighting class, is in Wushu, so we only got one silver.” And we’ve never gotten this award. Then yesterday’s shooting won two gold medals; we hadn’t won a gold medal in 72 years,” Minister Basuki remarked.
In carrying out his duties as CDM, Minister Basuki felt pleased and touched because the achievements obtained by Indonesian athletes were the result of their own hard work and training.
“Our responsibility at CDM is to serve athletes, so if they have any requests, we can assist them. Obviously, I am delighted to have a new community of dedicated Indonesian athletes at KOI. However, it comes out that many athletes also train independently. For instance, a skateboard without a trainer. “But it’s great, it’s not a joke, and you get a medal,” he stated.
As a result of witnessing the struggles of Indonesian athletes at the 19th Asian Games, Minister Basuki was moved to support and enhance the athletes’ achievements. One of them is infrastructure support for training.
“Of course, I will communicate a number of items to President Jokowi. As a result of their independent learning, I became emotional and was crying. I believe it was their enthusiasm that made me motivated to act. And for skateboarding, for instance, there is a skateboard plaza at TMII, which is inexpensive to renovate. Therefore, I will check there afterward. Minister Basuki concluded, “Because Karate, Wushu, and Taekwondo are all the same, perhaps one training arena can be created in the future.”
Chairman of the KOI Raja Sapta Oktohari also affirmed Indonesia’s elation at breaking the record. KOI believes that winning this medal will inspire interest in additional sports. “Hopefully, it will encourage participation in other activities. And here we will continue to monitor the competing Indonesian team. Please pray for everyone, Raja Sapta requested.(ABIM)
