JAKARTA - The Indonesian kickboxing team returned from the 2022 Asian shock in Bangkok, Thailand, with a big smile. The Red and White contingent achieved quite a proud achievement at the event which took place from December 10-18.
Indonesia won 2 gold, 3 silver, and 6 bronze. This achievement was fairly good considering that the participants who appeared came from Asian countries.
This is the first trial of the Indonesian kickboxing team in the Cambodia National Training Center (Pelatnas) preparation for the Cambodia SEA Games.
Chairman of the Indonesian Kickboxing Central Board (PP KBI) Ngatino said the 2022 Asian Championships were not actually their main target. However, he is grateful that his team was able to return home with good results.
"We can measure kickboxing power in Asia, especially Southeast Asia," Ngatino said, as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, December 20.
He added that the results at the 2022 Asian Championships were also an evaluation material so that in the future Indonesian kickboxing athletes could achieve better achievements on the international stage.
"Of course we need support from the private government, so that the Red and White can fly and the anthem Indonesia Raya can reverberate in international events," said Ngatino.
Overall, Indonesia fielded 17 athletes. The two golds came from Firman Muharram Syach who fell in the male 69kg light contact tatami styles category and Toni Kristian Hutapea who competed in the men's 54kg ring styles category.
The manager of the Indonesian Kickboxing National Team, Rossi, said that for the Southeast Asian level, Indonesia is still losing to Vietnam. "But Indonesian athletes have shown improvement. Hopefully in the future it will be much better," said Rossi.
Indonesian athletes will return to training at the national training center to continue to finalize preparations for the Cambodian SEA Games.
"Athletes are not on holiday. After this they return to the national training to prepare for the SEA Games. This is the first tryout and we hope that there will be another trial. From the start we did not target anything, it was more to measure the ability of athletes and other countries, especially those who took part in the 2023 SEA Games," said Ngatino.
At the XXXI/2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, last year, kickboxing contributed 2 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. The gold came from Amanda La Loupatty in the women's low kick 52kg and Diandra Ariesta Pieter in the women's 56kg full contact number.
"At least, we can defend the two gold medals won in Vietnam at the Cambodian SEA Games later," concluded Ngatino.
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