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Team Indonesia full of optimism as athletes complete last minute preparations

Bright stars: Hurdler Emilia Nova (left) and BMX rider I Gusti Bagus Saputra attend the announcement of Pocari Sweat as the official isotonic drink of the 2019 Philippines SEA Games in Jakarta on Monday

Ramadani Saputra and Niken Prathivi (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, November 19, 2019

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Team Indonesia full of optimism as athletes complete last minute preparations

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right stars: Hurdler Emilia Nova (left) and BMX rider I Gusti Bagus Saputra attend the announcement of Pocari Sweat as the official isotonic drink of the 2019 Philippines SEA Games in Jakarta on Monday. Emilia and Bagus are among the country’s athletes expected to win a medal at the Games.(JP/Ramadani Saputra)

Well prepared and with strong support, Team Indonesia is full of optimism ahead of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines, which will kick off in less than two weeks.

Hurdler Emilia Nova’s spirits are high, as she seeks to become the region’s best at the biennial event.

However, Emilia’s preparations have not been smooth, suffering from plantar fasciitis since February this year. The heel injury has impacted her performance, with the 2018 Asian Games silver medalist unable to match her personal best in the 100 meter hurdles set early this year.

“I recorded 13.5 seconds at the Malaysia Open [in March]. It was achieved without maximum preparation. Now, I am back in my practice routine like before the Asian Games [last year],” she told journalists in Jakarta on Monday.

“[For now], my speed is not as good as during the Asian Games but [I feel my] technical aspects have improved. I hope to equal the time I recorded at the Asian Games,” she added.

At the 2018 Asiad, Emilia finished second in the women’s 100 m final behind South Korea’s Jung Hye-lim, recording a time of 13.33 seconds.

Despite her injury, Emilia remains optimistic she can bag gold in the Philippines, as she holds the Southeast Asia record. Emilia’s fiercest rival Tran Thi Yen Hoa of Vietnam holds a personal best of 13.61, recorded at the Asian Grand Prix Series in Chongqing, China, in June.

“At the moment, I am trying to practice effectively. I used to practice [quite hard] but then suffered for the next three days. Now, I run 80 m, less than my previous routine of 120 to 150 m during practice,” she said.

“[With the decrease in distance] I am trying to improve the frequency so I still get the same results.”

“The important thing for me now is to stay healthy until the SEA Games so I can perform at my best,” she said, adding that she initially wanted to compete in both the women’s hurdles and the heptathlon but settled on the single event to have the best chance of winning a medal.

Emilia won silver in the women’s heptathlon at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur but failed to bring home a medal in the hurdles.

The same spirit of optimism is held by BMX rider I Gusti Bagus Saputra, who is on a mission to defend his gold from Kuala Lumpur at the upcoming Games.

To prepare, Indonesia’s BMX squad has studied a video of the Games’ BMX track at Tagaytay Centrum.

“The video gives us an idea of what the track looks like, which will influence our strategy,” he said.

“I personally desire gold. I don’t carry a burden as I know my goal. I am also seeking to collect Olympic points [to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics].”

“[At the SEA Games] I’ll need to watch out for riders from the Philippines, as they have the advantage of knowing the track better,” he said.

Meanwhile, national soccer team star Witan Sulaeman said the Indonesian team had a great opportunity to win gold after last standing atop the podium at the 1991 SEA Games in Manila. Thailand’s men’s team has been dominate since and has won gold 16 times.

Emilia, Bagus and Witan gathered together on Monday for the official announcement that Pocari Sweat will be Indonesia’s official isotonic drink sponsor for the Games.

To show its support for Team Indonesia, the drink brand has organized 1 kilometer fun runs in 12 cities, including Batam in Riau Islands, Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra, in which more than 2,788 people have participated to show support for the national team.

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