It was only two weeks ago that Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu made history by winning Indonesia’s first gold medal in the badminton women’s doubles at Tokyo 2020. As the duo stood atop the medal podium saluting the “Red and White”, the Indonesian national anthem burst forth from the stadium speakers.

At that particular moment, our Olympian shuttlers couldn’t hold back their tears, probably much like the many thousands of their fellow countryment watching them from home. Nearing two years of unending challenges and nationwide grief, the song provided a brief glimpse of hope, reinforcing our innate connection to our homeland.

Indiana Basitha, a 34-year-old employee at a pharmaceutical company, said she got “chills and goose bumps” when she heard “Indonesia Raya” play as Greysia and Apriyani stood with their gold medals and bouquets during the ceremony, their eyes clearly brimming with emotion behind their red-and-white masks.

“For a moment, we all forgot about the noise surrounding COVID-19. We could immerse in the feeling of celebrating something together,” said Indiana.

It was a callback to 29 years ago, when badminton queen Susi Susanti was similarly overwhelmed as she received the country's first ever Olympic gold at Barcelona 1992, to the familiar yet moving tunes of “Indonesia Raya”. That photograph remains one of the country’s most iconic, while that moment encapsulates one of the country’s most triumphant.

And it’s not just in the sports arena.

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