Badminton player Liliyana Natsir bids farewell to Jokowi in a memoir today, January 29, 2019

Badminton player, Liliyana Natsir bid farewell to President Jokowi and Mensesneg Pratikno at Istana Merdeka on January 29, 2019. (Menpan.go.id)

JAKARTA - Today's memory, seven years ago, January 29, 2019, the famous Indonesian badminton player, Liliyana Natsir, said goodbye to retiring from the world of professional badminton to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). The woman who is familiarly called Butet promised to continue to devote herself to passing on the spirit of the champion to the younger generation.

Previously, Butet's name was famous when playing in the mixed doubles with Tontowi Ahmad (Owi). The Owi/Butet pair was then considered the best Indonesian mixed doubles. They were able to win the Rio Olympics gold medal.

The branch of the badminton sport is often advocated in every Olympic Games. Moreover, during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) has a high target: gold. PBSI considers that Indonesia's tradition of winning gold in badminton must continue.

The PBSI's confidence then did not go smoothly. The badminton players sent in the men's singles, women's singles, and men's doubles were unable to break through to the quarterfinals. All the public also saw Indonesia absent from winning the gold medal.

Interestingly, asa then emerged from the doubles campura Owi/Butet. They met their compatriots in the quarterfinals, Praven Jordan/Debby Susanto. The meeting made Owi/Butet win easily two sets straight 21-16 and 21-11.

Liliyana Natsir and Tontowi Ahmad when winning the badminton mixed doubles event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. (EPA)

Nyali Owi/Butet was not afraid when they entered the semifinals and met the Chinese pair, Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei. They were able to beat the mixed doubles with a score of 16-21 and 15-21. As a result, Owi/Butet entered the final.

The success made all the people of Indonesia hope that the two of them could bring home the Rio Olympics gold. Owi/Butet will also face the Malaysian mixed doubles, Chan Peng Soon/Goh Liu Ying on August 17, 2016.

The mental champion was also tried to be shown by both of them. The peak, Owi/Butet managed to become the Rio Olympics champion with a score of 21-14 and 21-12. Owi-Butet then brought Indonesia to the first gold medal in the mixed doubles.

"And if Indonesia can get gold now, the impact is huge and gives the community a different euphoria about sports. And we hope that in the future, the coaching of the sports will be better taken care of by the government," said the Head of Public Relations and Social Media of the PBSI, Yuni Kartika, quoted by the CNN Indonesia website, August 22, 2016.

Owi/Butet's footsteps are fragrant in the world of badminton. Both continue to look for other victories. However, Butet recently felt satisfied with the variety of achievements in his life in the world of badminton. He considers it enough with the achievement of more than 40 titles, including the Olympic gold medal.

At its peak, Butet, who is 33 years old, decided to retire from the world of badminton and held a farewell party at Istora Senayan on January 27, 2019. Butet then bid farewell to President Jokowi at the Merdeka Palace a few days later, or on January 29, 2019.

The farewell process made Jokowi sad. Jokowi felt that Indonesia had lost the best talent in the world of badminton. Jokowi also advised Owi, who will be appointed as a State Civil Apparatus (ASN), to always help motivate the Indonesian youth.

Owi was asked to pass on the knowledge he had. This condition is so that the Indonesian badminton world continues to exist and achieve. Owi also agreed.

"The point is that Indonesia is very lost with the retirement of Liliyana Natsir (Butet) who, whatever it is, not only our country, not only Indonesia but the world will also lose a figure like Butet. But still, what I put forward to motivate. "

"He will later move to all clubs in the regions, in training in the regions, to clubs. All of them give motivation what must be done, what must be done in achieving a feat like what Liliyana and Butet have achieved. That's it," said Jokowi as quoted by the menpan.go.id page, January 29, 2019.