JAKARTA - A total of 13 Indonesian lifters are eyeing six gold medals at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games which will be held at the Solo Paragon Hotel, Solo, Central Java, August 1-5.
Indonesia will drop in 13 out of a total of 18 classes competed in the weightlifting branch of the ASEAN Para Games 2022.
“I am sure that the athletes will be able to meet these targets. They are determined to win as many gold medals as possible, because they perform at home," said the coordinator of the Indonesian para-weightlifting training coach Coni Ruswanta as quoted by Antara, Friday.
The 13 athletes consisted of five male and eight female athletes, including four debutants. Although debutants, Coni said they have the ability and the opportunity to contribute medals.
A similar belief was also conveyed by an athlete from Sragen, Central Java, Atmaji Priyambodo. The lifter, who will take part in the men's 97kg class, is confident that he can present a medal, especially since his toughest challenger, Yeekie, a lifter from Malaysia, is absent from this year's edition due to a serious injury.
''In several meetings, Yeekie won the gold medal and I won the silver. But because it didn't go down, the opportunities for me were more open. My other rivals will be athletes from Thailand, Singapore and newcomers from Malaysia as well,'' said Atmaji.
Ni Nengah Widiasih, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, expressed optimism.
The lifter, who is usually called Widi, will face rivals from other contingents, including the Philippines and Laos in the women's 45 kg class.
“I don't know their progress, because they haven't met since the ASEAN Para Games Malaysia 2017. Apart from the Philippines and Laos, there are usually Vietnamese athletes, but he was absent this time. But I'm sure I can perform best later,''he said.
A total of 62 athletes from 10 countries will compete in the weightlifting arena of the 2022 ASEAN Para Games. The host countries are Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Timor Leste, Cambodia and Myanmar.
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