Lifters Eko Yuli And Ricko Saputra Fight For 1 Ticket For The 2024 Paris Olympics

Indonesian men's lifters Eko Yuli Irawan practice at national training centers (Pelatnas) at Mess Kwini, Jakarta (DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesia's mainstay lifters Eko Yuli Irawan and Ricko Saputra will compete for men's 61 kg weightlifting class tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The determination of who the lifter will strengthen the Red and White contingent in Paris will be at the IWF World Cup 2024 event which will take place in Phuket, Thailand, from March 31 to April 11. "Each country only gets one liter which has certainly passed in every class competed. So, determining who the 61 kg class lifter will strengthen the Indonesian contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be determined in the 2024 IWF World Cup," said Head of Achievement Development Division (Head of Binpres) of the Central Board of the Indonesian Weightlifting Association (PP PABSI), Hadi Wihardja, quoted from an official statement, Antara, Sunday, February 25. To ensure tickets to the Paris Olympics, Hadi Wihardja said both Eko and Ricko must have the best total force above 300 kg in the 61 kg class competition. "Currently, Eko has the best total lift of 300 kg and Rico with a total lift of 298 kg. So, Eko and Ricko must have a total lift of 301kg to qualify and the highest total lift to become the ticket owner to Paris," explained Hadi Wihardja. Hadi explained that not only Eko and Ricko but Rahmad Erwin Abdullah and Rizky Juniansyah will also compete for the men's 73 kg class tickets at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both must at least record a total force of over 363 kg in Thailand's IWF World Cup 2024.

In addition to the possibility of passing lifters in the men's 61 kg and 73 kg classes, Hadi said that Indonesia also has the opportunity to pass Windy Cantika Aisah in the women's 49 kg class with a record that it must carry out a total force of more than 192 kg. Then, Natasya Beteyob, who will compete for tickets with Sarah, had to penetrate the total force above 221kg. In the 71 kg class, Tsabitha Ramadani also has the opportunity to qualify with a record having a total lift of over 241 kg. Likewise, Nurul Akmal who dropped in the +81kg class with a record having a total lift of over 263kg.