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Indonesian climbers in hunt for Olympic ticket as federation seeks financial support
Country keeps world record holder and world champions up its sleeves.
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All-Indonesian finalists Kiromal Katibin (left) and Aspar Jaelolo (right) wave to the crowd as the two finish just a split second apart in the Jakarta leg of the IFSC World Cup 2022 on Sep. 26, 2022. Aspar defeated Kiromal to bring home the gold medal after clocking in at 5.39 seconds. (JP/Deni Ghifari)
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ver the past few years, Indonesia has been following a promising path in the world of sport climbing, allowing the country’s climbers, especially in the speed discipline, to pursue a maiden Olympic gold in the 2024 Paris Games, despite a lack of funding.
Youth and Sports Minister Zainuddin Amali has acknowledged speed climbing’s potential and is hopeful for a strong showing in the upcoming Summer Games, in addition to the country’s usual strengths in badminton and weightlifting.
“In our national sports grand design, climbing is one of our superior sports,” Zainuddin said last month, referring to a guidance in the national sports system under Presidential Regulation No. 86/2021, in which all sports stakeholders, from central to regency governments and organizations, are mandated to be hands-on and meticulous in certain sports’ development.
“We have world champions [in speed climbing] and we currently hold the world record. Hopefully we can maintain this achievement or maybe break through it, that is why the government is giving full support for climbing,” he added.
It was speed climber Aries “Spiderwoman” Susanti Rahayu, who put Indonesia on the world’s sport climbing map after winning two gold medals from her spectacular performances in the 2018 Asian Games, which was held in Jakarta and Palembang.
Aries, who made Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 list in 2019, also did well at the world level by winning four gold medals, two silvers and a bronze in the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Climbing World Cup in the 2017 and 2019 series.
Aries is no longer competing as she is now a climbing coach. However, her male counterparts remain on the right track to continue the fight at the elite level.
