ASEAN Para Games Gold Medal Winner Ni Nengah Widiasih Appointed As Civil Servant: Thank You Mr. President Jokowi

Athlete with disabilities, Ni Nengah Widiasih, thanked President Jokowi after being appointed as a civil servant. (Photo: Doc on the official website of the Ministry of Youth and Sports)

JAKARTA - A total of 193 outstanding athletes, both disabled and non-disabled, were inaugurated as civil servants (PNS) on Wednesday, August 10. Minister of Youth and Sports (Menpora) Zainudin Amali said this was a form of President Joko Widodo's commitment to equality between the two.

Of the 193 athletes, Ni Nengah Widiasih is one of them. She also expressed her gratitude for the government's full attention, especially President Jokowi.

"Thank you, Mr. President and Mr. Minister for this award. Being appointed as a civil servant is already an extraordinary award for us," said Ni Nengah on the official website of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Ni Nengah is a powerlifting athlete who contributed a gold medal for Indonesia at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games. She became the best in the women's 45 kg class.

With this inauguration, Ni Nengah and 192 other athletes officially served as civil servants in the Ministry of Youth and Sports. However, Ni Nengah admitted that she would still continue her struggle as an athlete.

Moreover, she still has a target she wants to achieve, namely the 2024 Paralympics medal which will be held in Paris.

"I myself am still an athlete, staying focused on training. I still want to continue to pursue my dreams and am still training at the national training camp," said Ni Nengah.

"There are still many qualifications ahead to be followed in preparation for competing in the upcoming 2024 Paris Paralympics."

"If this year my qualifications are enough, maybe the closest one at the beginning of next year is the World Championship in Dubai and there are still other qualifications," continued the athlete who was born December 12, 1992.

She hopes that the achievements that she and other senior athletes have achieved can motivate young athletes. The hope is that the next generation can score achievements like them or even exceed their seniors.

"Hopefully later they can follow in our footsteps, even better," said the silver medalist of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.