2021 SEA Games Gold Medal Winner Odekta Naibaho Strong Criticism Of Ketum PASI: Don't Just Care When We Are Successful!

Indonesian runner Odekta Elvina Naibaho, gold medalist in the women's marathon number SEA Games 2021. (PHOTO/INSTAGRAM @odekta_naibaho)

JAKARTA - Marathon athlete who won the 2021 SEA Games gold medal, Odekta Naibaho, gave strong criticism to the General Chair of the Executive Board of the Indonesian Athletics Association (PB PASI), Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and his staff.

Athletic achievements at the 2022 SEA Games are like a roast away from the fire. This sport only got two gold medals from the target of eight gold that was proclaimed.

Another gold medal won by athletes is shot put. In this number, the athlete Eki Ekawati Febri came out as the best repeating her achievements at the 2017 SEA Games Malaysia.

Odekta assessed that the general chairman's performance was not optimal. What is being carried out today is considered to be in stark contrast to the previous general chairman, the late Bob Hasan.

"I want to convey that we don't only care when we succeed, but when we fail, we get thrown out. Please for the federation officials and anything related to the management," she said.

Odekta's journey to achieve this biennial best achievement is indeed full of challenges. He did not receive financial support from the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) for two months so he had to prepare himself at personal expense.

"However, why worry about it before there are results. I want to show the results first and my sacrifices are finally answered when I am sincere. This is a lesson for them, let's work together," she said.

Not only Odekta, but there are also other athletes who judge that there is a big difference in the fulfillment of facilities.

"In the past, these deficiencies could always be met first, so it was a comfortable exercise. If you can compare, it's different in the current era with the former chairman," said the athlete, who did not want to be named.

The gold duel was the worst athletic achievement since the 2005 SEA Games. At that time, this branch only brought home one gold medal from the event in the Southeast Asian region.

Previously, the PASI had set 15 gold medals for this year's SEA Games. The target was later streamlined to eight, but it still wasn't met.

This year, many of Indonesia's mainstay athletic athletes have failed to win gold, including Lalu Muhammad Zohri. The coach from West Nisa Tenggara (NTB) failed to finish fourth in the men's 100-meter flagship number.