Athletes and coaches are calling this year’s National Games (PON), which ended on Friday, the worst in history, following complaints over poor infrastructure and allegations of biased officiation.

Arnold's resignation follows heavy criticism from fans and pundits after a shock 1-0 loss to Bahrain on home soil and a 0-0 draw away against Indonesia.

Soccer referee Eko Agus Sugih was accused of favoreing PON host Aceh in the chaotic match -- which eventually ended with him getting punched in the face and the Central Sulawesi team walking out of the game.

Around 70,000 people gathered for the parade featuring athletes, volunteers and public sector workers, which was followed by a multi-artist concert on a spectacular stage around the Arc de Triomphe.

The National Police have dispatched a team to launch a probe into suspected budget misuse carried out by the organizers of the 21st National Games (PON) in Aceh and North Sumatra, following widespread complaints over poor and incomplete infrastructure in and surrounding the sporting venues.

Rewards for medalists and participating athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics are the same: Rp 6 billion (US$389,197) for gold, Rp 2.75 billion for silver and Rp 1.65 for bronze, on top of the Rp 250 million athletes receive for competing in Paris.

The Indonesian national soccer team has received wide praise for holding top dog Australia to a draw in its second qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night.

Hoping to rebound from a shock 1-0 loss to Bahrain on home soil last week, the Socceroos were held 0-0 by world number 133 Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday in a setback to their hopes of direct qualification for the 2026 showpiece in North America. 

The Socceroos dominated in front of almost 80,000 fans at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on Tuesday, but sit second-from-bottom of Group C with a single point from their opening two qualifying games.

There was frustration, too, for Asian champions Qatar, who drew 2-2 with North Korea in Group A as Iran downed the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan beat Kyrgyzstan to make it two wins from two.

The Socceroos dominated in front of almost 80,000 fans at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, but Indonesia remain above them in Group C as they seek to qualify for the World Cup for only the second time.

Graham Arnold's side made the worst possible start to the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup when they were stunned 1-0 at home by Bahrain last week.

In the depths of the Stade de France, track and field's most charismatic couple were wearing their gold medals, leaning on each other and drinking it all in.

Japan and Bahrain currently top the standings with three points each while Australia are pointless in the quest for a top two finish in the six-team group that would secure automatic qualification for the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The Koreans were jeered off the Seoul World Cup Stadium pitch after a 0-0 draw with Palestine before Saudi Arabia were unexpectedly held to a 1-1 draw by Indonesia in Jeddah.

Winger Ragnar Oratmangoen scored Indonesia’s only goal in the 19th minute of the evening match, which was played at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Indonesia lost 7-6 to China in the mixed team BC1/BC2 Paralympic gold medal match but still won a medal in the three-a-side wheelchair event on its first try.

Now aged 37, the Argentinian superstar is not among the 30 contenders this time despite winning another title with Argentina at the Copa America in July.

Nine players in the squad that defeated the Philippines at a sold-out Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta in June were born in the Netherlands, from which Indonesia declared independence in 1945.

The para-badminton team's stellar performance at the Paris games brings consolation for fans of the popular sport back home following the disappointing results of Indonesian shuttlers at the Olympics last month.

The 18 remaining sides in Asia are divided into three groups of six and will play home and away fixtures, with the top two from each pool guaranteed a place at the World Cup.

Leani Oktila and Hikmat Ramdani received on Monday their first Paralympics gold medal in the mixed doubles para badminton all-Indonesia final in Paris, the first of several expected in the sport over the coming days, as the country ramps up its hunt for medals after maiden wins in boccia over the weekend.

Gischa Zayana, 19, bested North Ireland's Claire Taggart, the current world number one in the individual women's BC2 category, gifting her country a bronze – Indonesia's maiden Paralympic medal in boccia.

The 4,400 competitors from 168 delegations paraded into the arena as the sun set with host nation France entering last to a standing ovation from 30,000 spectators packed into the stands around the historic square.

Olympic medalists Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Rizki Juniansyah and Veddriq Leonardo are among the nominees.

A new generation of Paralympians will join seasoned veterans competing in many of the same venues that hosted Olympic sports.

While men dominate Indonesia's overall Paralympic medal haul, women have always led the way in its para powerlifting representation, as no Indonesian man has ever qualified for the Paralympics in the sport.