Feeling Brings Saptoyogo To Win Asian Para Games Gold Medal Amid Pain Reduction

Athletics athlete, Saptoyogo Purnomo, presented the first gold medal for the Indonesian contingent at the 2023 Asian Games. (Photo via Antara/NPC Indonesia)

JAKARTA - Athletes at athletics, Saptoyogo Purnomo, presented the first gold medal for the Indonesian contingent at the 2023 Asian Games. Saptoyogo won the gold medal in the men's 400 meters T37 running number, Monday, October 23.

Saptoyogo won the gold medal through an extraordinary struggle. His legs are not in top condition when competing with his opponents.

Saptoyogo said he had to fight the pain in his feet in order to win Indonesia's first gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

"I competed against pain in the thighs of my left leg and right leg, but I was resistant to that pain throughout the race so I could win gold for Indonesia," said Saptoyogo in an official statement from the Indonesian Paralympic Committee (NPC), which was confiscated from Antara.

After touching the finish line, Yogo had to get treatment due to cramps and pain in his left thigh. Yogo's condition was also reported to have received special attention from the medical team because he was still competing in the men's 100 and 200 meters T37.

The sprinter, who is usually called Yogo, then explained the strategy he applied in winning a running battle with his competitors.

I also ran based on feeling, when 100 meters I was still running slowly until it entered the beginning of 200 meters, but at the end of 200 meters I took all my abilities into the finish line. Indeed, the race was very tough," he explained.

Yogo's achievements this time have even further extended his streak of achievements, after recently he confirmed tickets for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, France after winning a silver medal in the men's T37 class in the 2023 Para-Atletic World Championships in Paris, July.

With this, the para-athletic branch has donated two medals in the fourth edition of the Asian Para Games, after previously Suparni Yati won silver in the F20 bullet test number with the second best rejection record, which was 11.12 meters.

The Red and White Squad is targeted to be able to finish in the top 10 Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games with 19 gold, 23 silver and 25 bronze medals.