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Unstoppable, Indonesia one step closer to finishing at top
Happy and proud: Para Games Indonesia swimmers and coaches are photographed on the last day of the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur on Friday
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span class="inline inline-center">Happy and proud: Para Games Indonesia swimmers and coaches are photographed on the last day of the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. The swimmers won five gold medals that day, bringing the medals tally from swimming to 39 golds, 13 silvers and 12 bronze medals.(Courtesy of APG Indonesia)
Indonesia is inches away from being named the overall champion of the 2017 ASEAN Para Games, having collected 109 gold medals, 64 silvers and 42 bronzes as of Friday evening — one day before the biennial event ends.
“God willing, Indonesia will emerge the overall champion,” the country’s chef-de-mission, Bayu Rahadian, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
On the fruitful Friday, Indonesia took a strong lead against host Malaysia, which stands at second place with 85 golds, 79 silvers and 69 bronze.
“Mathematically, Malaysia won’t be able to catch up. There is a 24-gold-medal gap, while there are only 19 gold medals on the table on Saturday,” said Bayu, adding that Indonesia was aiming for five to seven golds in table tennis on closing day.
Powered by 196 para-athletes, Indonesia aims to finish at the top with 107 gold medals. The number of gold medals in the bag has surpassed the number it took home at the 2015 Singapore Para Games, which totalled 81 gold medals, and was named runner-up, after top finisher Thailand.
On Friday, the Indonesian swimming squad called it a day after nabbing five more gold medals. As result, Indonesia emerged the overall champion in swimming with 39 golds, 13 silvers and 12 bronze medals; beating runner-up Vietnam, which collected 15 golds, 22 silvers and 16 bronzes.
“Our athletes have performed laudably. They passed the initial target, and even broke three Para Games records,” Dimin, the Indonesian team coach, said in the statement.
In Friday’s battles at the National Aquatic Center in Bukit Jalil, Jendi Pangabean started the gold-medal hunt in the men’s 200-meter individual medley SM9 by clocking in at 02:33.37, which broke his 2015 ASEAN Para Games record of 2:38.47.
Muhammad Samsi followed along the golden path in the men’s 200 m individual medley SM14. Meanwhile, Steven Sualang contributed the third gold of the day in the men’s 50 m backstroke S10.
Friday’s fourth gold medalist came from Muhammad Bejita in the men’s 50-m backstroke S14. He also broke a Para Games record set by Singapore’s Lawrence Tay Wei at the 2015 Para Games.
Finally, Daniel Nugroho, Irfan Septiana, Kevin Ode Natama and Muhammad Bejita were at the top of their game in the men’s 4x100-m relay S14, which earned them gold medals.
Indonesia also came out the overall champion in para track and field with 40 golds, 28 silvers and 14 bronzes. The result nearly doubled its medal tally in the last edition of 27 golds, under Thailand’s domination.
“We’re very thankful for surpassing our target. We did it with the hard work of all squad members,” said coach Slamet Widodo.
The Indonesian para-athlete squad overpowered its compatriots in the 2015 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which ended on Aug. 30. At the Kuala Lumpur Games, Indonesia finished fifth with 38 golds, 63 silvers and 90 bronze medals.
Indonesia’s SEA Games contingent, supported by 534 athletes, took home the fewest number of golds in the country’s SEA Games history.
