Winning Super Fast Match In 30 Seconds, East Java Athlete Varadisa New Wrestling Queen At PON Papua

Varadisa Septi. ANTARA/HO-PB PON/Setiyo SC

MERAUKE - It didn't take long for Varadisa Septi to win the final match of the women's 76kg freestyle wrestling PON Papua at the Dispora Futsal Gymnasium, Merauke, to claim the gold medal for East Java.

Meeting Jambi representative Indri Sukmaningsih, Varadisa only needed 30 seconds to win the final match with a drop technique, when her aggressive slam made her opponent fall and couldn't move on the mat in the first round.

The wrestler who was born on September 2, 2002, admitted that she was nervous and tense when she joined the national quadrennial sports party for the first time.

Armed with the status of the 2019 Pre-PON champion, the woman from Malang, East Java is trying to maintain momentum and translate the results of her hard work in training into her first gold medal in PON.

"I've been practicing hard for this PON," said Varadisa when she was met after the medal presentation, quoted by Antara, Sunday, October 10.

"In Pre-PON I got gold, I can't be careless, this PON must also get gold," said Varadisa.

Varadisa's victory, on the third day of wrestling, where only one class was contested to honor local wisdom where the majority of Merauke residents worshiped in church, brought East Java to collect three gold medals from their female wrestlers.

Actually, the match that Varadisa is anticipating is against South Kalimantan wrestler Natrusnicu Roxana Andrea, who is the champion in 2016 PON.

However, Roxana, who is a naturalized athlete from Romania, was eliminated from the gold medal after being defeated by Indri Sukmaningsih.

Roxana had to settle for a bronze medal after winning the match for third place against West Java representative Yanti Hernanti with absolute points.

As stated by the head coach of East Java, Rakhman, the match between Varadisa and Roxana was like a 'revenge' match. Because Roxana was forced to give up against Varadisa in the final match of the Pre-PON 2019 which was fierce.

"We have prepared Vara for that, in fact, how will she play later, we have prepared it, but I don't know that she (Roxana) actually lost to Jambi," said Rakhman.

"So before the final, we predicted that against Jambi we would win," he continued.

Even though he won easily, Varadisa admitted that he had never known the Jambi wrestler's playing style, which he had only recently experienced.

"Maybe because this is the first time I've met this opponent, so I don't know how to play. I don't know the strategy either," said Varadisa.

Even if in the final he meets Roxana, Vara does not want to underestimate her opponent because there is a gap of two years since he defeated the South Kalimantan athlete until the PON which was postponed this year.

"Maybe the odds are the same. Because we last met in 2019, I don't know the training either, so maybe the game is different."

Preparing for her first PON, Varadisa admitted that she was greatly helped by the support of friends, family, coaches, and even a team of psychologists who were prepared by the coach to fuel the spirit of athletes.

"The team of psychologists gives motivation, enthusiasm so that we don't get too tense, so that we are 'fresh' when playing. I really helped."

Varadisa has known wrestling since she was in elementary school, thanks to her older cousin, Mutiara Ayuningtias, who also competed in PON Papua. Then from the 2nd grade of junior high school, she was under the care of Rakhman.

In 2018, Vara participated in an international championship for the first time, namely the ASEAN X1/2018 cadets and junior wrestling Championship which took place in Thailand.

She was able to bring home the gold medal in the 73kg freestyle at the championship.

After gold in PON Papua, Vara has the ambition to penetrate the national training ground for the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi later.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Binpres Central Executive of the Indonesian Wrestling Association (PP PGSI) Gusti Randa hopes that the Papua PON wrestling sport will bring out champion wrestlers who will represent Indonesia at the Hanoi SEA Games event which has been postponed to next year due to the pandemic.

"After the Papua PON, we would have held the SEA Games in Vietnam, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnam SEA Games was canceled this year," Gusti said in his opening remarks for the Papua PON wrestling at the KONI Futsal Sports Hall, Merauke.

"Of course, with the PON in Papua, the participation of athletes in the Vietnam SEA Games is determined by the winners at the 2020 PON.

"Athletes are fighting as hard as they can," he said.

As is known, Indonesia did not participate in the 2019 SEA Games wrestling competition because the national wrestlers were not dispatched by PP PGSI.

The absence of the Indonesian wrestling team at the 2019 SEA Games Manila set a bad precedent. In fact, the sport of wrestling has become a gold mine for the Indonesian contingent, which has never been absent from the SEA Games.

This led to disappointment that resulted in the demand to resign for Gusti Randa while PP PGSI was deemed to have no short, medium, and long-term strategic plan (Renstra).

"Maybe next year there will be the SEA Games, if you are called (to the national training), yes, God willing (departing)," concluded Vara.