Badminton Player Jonathan Christie Gets Satyalencana At A Young Age

Jonathan Christie's action in a badminton championship. (Between)

JAKARTA - Leonardus Jonatan Christie is one of Indonesia's proud badminton athletes. His work in the world of brilliant badminton. However, all of that was not obtained easily. The athlete's hard training has been carried out since childhood.

All of this was lived with sincerity, even though he never dreamed of becoming a reliable badminton player. The result is disturbing. He was able to come out as a champion at the All-Southeast Asian Elementary School student Olympics in 2008. The government also awarded him the Satyalencana Dharma Sports award.

Professional badminton athletes often have a strong dream to become champions. They consciously practice hard. His parents also directed him to the door of success. Rudi Hartono and Liem Swie King have felt it.

However, things are different with Jonatan Christie. His parents did not insist too much on Jonatan being an athlete. In fact, his father, Andreas Adi Siswa, was a football and basketball athlete. Instead of badminton, Jonatan's father actually brought his son for swimming training.

The choice was taken because Jonathan's body was buried. To be thin, he thought. The most decisive moment in Jonathan's life occurred when he entered elementary school. The elementary school days -- six years old -- made Jonathan choose the extracurricular badminton. Because, it's the only sport in the room.

Parents think again. This time so that their child's skin doesn't hurt. Dewi Fortuna is present in Jonathan's life. His school turns out to have a partnership with a small badminton club. The badminton club coach saw Jonathan as having great potential to become a professional badminton athlete.

The narrative was revealed to his father. This momentum made Jonatan's father confident that his son could continue the trend of sportsmen in the family. Since then all kinds of Jonatan's activities have practiced full support.

His father took Jonathan from home to the training ground at four in the morning. Everything done with a belief that Jonathan could succeed. Jonathan did it with joy. He himself doesn't really worry about who his idol badminton athlete is. The only thing he understands is training and winning.

"Usually, children have idol figures first, right. Some idolize Mbappe of all kinds. At that time, I didn't know who the Indonesian athletes were and I knew who they were. Really knew. In fact, those who became legends (in badminton) such as Susi Susanti didn't know. There is no knowledge about badminton. Just walk it. The age of six years is really the first time holding a racket, learning mukul, which is still all kinds of things up to six months to one year.. "

"It's a tough time. Elementary school schools can't be left at all. School start at 7 or 8 hours, so the exercise must be twice a day, morning and evening. From grade two to grade five. That's just morning practice at four o'clock, Si Mama wakes up at three in the morning. At half past four. Second grade elementary school. Finally riding a motorbike between Papa is still sleeping. Until I was told to run, I was told toskipping, "explained Jonatan as interviewed by Daniel Mananta at the event titled Daniel Your Neighbor, January 29, 2022.

The existence of practicing badminton then attracts the attention of the big family. Jonathan is fully supported. Starting from nutritional to nutritional matters. This provision makes Jonantan even more serious about pursuing badminton.

Jonathan's move was not smooth. He had lost. He also felt sad that he didn't win. However, seriousness in practicing changed everything. Gradually as Jonathan's age began to become a champion in many badminton competitions.

The elementary school student is trusted to compete in the race for the competition. The result was brilliant. Jonathan was able to beat his opponents. He once won the first place in the 208 DKI Jakarta Regional Championships, won 1st place in the 2008 Astec Championships, and won second place in the Bali Open National Circuit Djarum.

At its peak, 11-year-old Jonathan was able to present two gold and one silver for Indonesia. He obtained this achievement from elementary school student Olympics in Southeast Asia in Jakarta in 2008.

This achievement made Indonesia proud. At that time, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) was attracted. As an appreciation for Jonathan's footsteps in the world of junior badminton, he was awarded the Satyalencana Dharma Sport by President SBY in 2009.

The achievement was given when Jonathan was 12 years old. This achievement then became proof that the Satyalencana Dharma Sports award was not only the monopoly of old athletes. Young people who have made the nation proud can also get it.

"At school there was an exkul bulutangkis then I joined. I believe that I can play better and I am interested in pursuing it. I always try to be on time to practice because I want to be serious in this field. My parents always advise me not to be arrogant when I'm above," explained Jonatan revealing his feelings for the achievements obtained as quoted by the Djarumbadminton.com page, November 26, 2012.