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Olympic gold medalists read Youth Pledge at State Palace

Olympic gold medalists Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir read the text of the Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge) at the State Palace on Friday evening as part of the 88th anniversary of the historic event

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, October 29, 2016

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Olympic gold medalists read Youth Pledge at State Palace President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo speaks with Olympic gold medalists Tontowi Ahmad and Lilyana Natsir at the State Palace on Aug. 24. Jokowi welcomed the badminton mixed doubles pair following their victory at the 2016 Summer Olympic in Rio de Janeiro. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

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lympic gold medalists Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir read the text of the Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge) at the State Palace on Friday evening as part of the 88th anniversary of the historic event.

Even though the badminton mixed doubles pair has participated in many world class tournaments, anxiety still snuck in for the task that was specifically appointed to them by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

"At first I was relaxed. But as we were walking to the stage, I suddenly felt nervous. Probably because I was afraid that I would make a mistake in reading the text. Finally, the nerves were gone as we started to read the text," Tontowi said in a press statement provided by the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) on Saturday.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Cabinet ministers also attended the event held at the State Palace.

The pair, which brought home a gold medal from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, undertook the once-in-a-lifetime task with pride and joy.

"I feel moved, proud and a little nervous because this is the first time I have read the Youth Pledge text at the State Palace. This is a historic moment in our lives," Lilyana said.

The Youth Pledge has a special meaning for the pair, who said they were grateful for being part of Indonesia's youth and contributing international achievements to the country. Tontowi and Lilyana hoped their victory at the Olympics would encourage other youths to make positive contributions.

"We hope we can be an example for the young generations so all of us can push for the advance of the country in any sector," Tontowi added.

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