The National Paralympics Committee set a goal of just one gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Through their spirited and relentless performance, our best Paralympic athletes won two gold, three silver and four bronze medals.
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KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
AP PHOTO/KIICHIRO SATO
Indonesia\'s Hary Susanto, left, and Leani Ratri Oktila pose for photos after receiving a gold medal for mixed doubles SL3-SU5 gold medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
The Indonesian contingent made proud achievements at in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games by grabbing two gold medals to end a long wait of 41 years.
Indonesia last won two gold medals at the Arnhem 1980 Paralympics, contributed by Yan Soebiyanto in lawn bowling and R.S. Arlen in powerlifting. Indonesia’s overall medal tally at Arnhem 1980 consisted of two golds and four bronzes.
The achievements at Arnhem continued those earned in the preceding Paralympics, Toronto 1976. That year, the Red-and-White contingent secured two gold medals, won by Itria Dini in athletics and Syarifuddin (lawn bowling), plus one silver and three bronze medals. After Arnhem 1980, Indonesia saw a gold medal drought. In the Paralympics before Tokyo 2020, Rio 2016, we earned just one bronze medal from Ni Nengah Widiasih in powerlifting. Four years earlier in London 2012, table tennis player David Jacobs brought home one bronze medal.
The National Paralympics Committee (NPC) set a goal of just one gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Through their spirited and relentless performance, our best Paralympic athletes won two gold, three silver and four bronze medals.
The two gold medals were won on the badminton court by women’s doubles pair Leani Ratri Oktila-Khalimatus Sadiyah and mixed doubles pair Hary Susanto-Leani Ratri Oktila. The three silver medals were contributed by Ni Nengah Widiasih (powerlifting), and shuttlers Dheva Anrimusthi and Leani. The four bronze winners were Saptoyogo Purnomo (athletics), David Jacobs (table tennis), and Suryo Nugroho and Fredy Setiawan (badminton).
AFP/OIS/IOC/JOE TOTH
This handout photo released by the Olympic Information Services (OIS) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and taken on September 5, 2021 shows Indonesia\'s Susanto Hary and Oktila Leani Ratri celebrating their victory against France\'s Lucas Mazur and Faustine Noel in the mixed doubles SL3-SU5 gold medal badminton match at the Yoyogi National Stadium during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Upon these achievements, the Republic of Indonesia team finished Tokyo 2020 ranked 43rd in the medal tally. This was an improvement from Rio 2016, where the Red-and-White was ranked 46th, and London 2012, where Indonesia ranked 60th.
Amid the various limitations the national training center faced in preparing for the Tokyo 2020Paralympic Games, the team’s achievements offered relief and, at the same time, made us proud. These limitations ranged from funding and the lack of training facilities to minimum tryouts and practice matches, considerably constrained as they were by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Developing Paralympic sports and disabled athletes has always been of complex significance and highly meaningful. Systematic and sustainable support will help our Paralympic athletes feel even more on a par with their counterparts. The change in word from “Disability” to “Ability” at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Para Games should be representative of our outlook as a whole.
Apart from the bonuses to be distributed to the athletes of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, which should be equal to those given to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic athletes, various aspects of Paralympic sports development must be made equal. This is in view of the Paralympic athletes’ international performance, which also contributes to the country’s good reputation.
