In Order To Maintain The Olympic Gold Tradition, The Government Calls The Key To Maintain Consistency

Illustration of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. (Doc. Paris 2024.org)

JAKARTA - The acquisition of one silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is a historic record for Indonesia. The reason is, at this event for the first time in 36 years, Indonesia won an Olympic medal.

Expert Staff for Youth and Sports Innovation at the Ministry of Youth and Sports (Kemenpora), Yohan, said consistency and focus are the main provisions of athletes and federations to maintain the Olympic gold tradition.

"Maintaining consistency in Paris will become a target for all of us. In addition, in the future Indonesia will need other sports besides badminton, archery, and weightlifting to excel," said Yohan, in a PWI SIWO seminar and discussion in Ancol, Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Saturday, February 17.

Yohan explained that Indonesia had brought home 37 medals since it first participated in the Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea.

The first medals for the Olympics for Indonesia were donated by Kusuma Wardani, Lilis Handayani, and Nurfitriyana Saiman after winning silver medals from the women's team archery.

Of the 37 medals collected by Indonesia, 21 of them came from badminton, 15 from weightlifting, and 1 from archery.

Badminton is the sport that most consistently contributes to the Olympic gold medal.

Susi Susanti, Alan Budikusuma, Rexy Mainaky/Ricky Subagja, Tony Gunawan/Candra Wijaya, Taufik Hidayat, Markis Kido/Hendra Setiawan, Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir, and Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu are badminton athletes who win gold medals and always strengthen Indonesia's name in this sport.

Yohan did not deny that maintaining the medal tradition, especially the Olympic gold medal, was not easy.

"For this reason, related parties, including the government, have prepared strategies and road maps," said Yohan.

Some of them are Law no. 11 of 2022 concerning Sports, and Presidential Regulation no. 86 of 2021 concerning the Great Design of National Sports (DBON).

"The presidential regulation on DBON is considered with the direction of long-term and collaborative development policies to increase the nation's competitiveness in terms of sports," said Yohan.

"The goal is to increase the culture of sports in society, increase achievement productivity, and advance the national economy based on sports," he said.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris will take place on July 26-11 August. Indonesia has passed six athletes from four sports, namely Arif Dwi Pangestu and Diananda Choirunisa (pehanan), Rifda Irfanaluthfi (six), Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi and Rahmad Adi Mulyono (rocket climbing), and Fathur Gustafian (shooting).