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Indonesia’s strengths so far for the Tokyo Olympic Games
Indonesia is likely to put the pressure for gold on its shuttlers, considering the fact that badminton has been the country’s only source of Olympic gold since 1992, except for the 2012 failure.
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Mohammad Ahsan (left), Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (second left), Kevin Sanjaya Sukomuljo (third left) and Shesar Hiren Rhustavito and other members of the 2019 Sudirman Cup National team attend a ceremony for the Indonesia Badminton Association’s (PBSI) 68th anniversary and the official introduction of the 2019 Sudirman Cup national team members at Hotel Century Athlete in Jakarta. (Courtesy of PBSI/-)
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ndonesia seems to be walking a tight rope in handling its elite athletes, with six months left to the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in July and August.
In a year-end media gathering on Dec. 31, 2019, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali said Indonesia had listed at least six qualified athletes for the 2020 Games. They are Lalu Muhammad Zohri in track and field, Eko Yuli Irawan and Windy Cantika Asih in weightlifting, Riau Ega Agatha and Dinanda Choirunnisa in archery, as well as Vidya Rafika Rahmatan Toyyiba in shooting.
Meanwhile, it has targeted to send more than 30 athletes to the quadrennial event, the pinnacle of world sports. In the previous 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Team Indonesia was powered by 28 athletes who bagged one gold medal in badminton and two silvers in weightlifting.
Indonesia had the biggest contingent in the 2000 Games with 47 athletes, collecting one gold, three silvers and two bronzes.
Indonesian athletes are hoping for more Olympic tickets with future qualifiers in several sports, including sports climbing, which will have its Olympic debut in Tokyo, weightlifting, archery, athletics, gymnastics, cycling, rowing and swimming.
On paper, Indonesia is likely to put pressure on its shuttlers, considering the fact that badminton has been the country’s only source of Olympic gold since 1992, except for the 2012 failure.
Nevertheless, Indonesian weightlifting has the potential to follow its badminton’s success in the hunt for Olympic gold 2016 Olympic silver medalist Eko and young gun Cantika — the new holder of the youth world record for women’s 49 kilograms as well as 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist in her SEA Games debut — on the team.
