Sacred Pool for Debutant Athletes

Name: Sacred Pool for Debutant Athletes
Uploaded: 2022-05-11T04:41:01Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: If they succeed in Vietnam, we should keep track of the journeys of these young debutants. They must be provided with the appropriate training and facilities to help them develop. Do not waste such great talent.

If they succeed in Vietnam, we should keep track of the journeys of these young debutants. They must be provided with the appropriate training and facilities to help them develop. Do not waste such great talent.

Kevin Hianusa From Hanoi, Vietnam

· 5 minutes read

For Indonesia’s debutant athletes, the 2021 South East Asian Games in Vietnam will feel like a sacred pool. They will plunge into that pool to establish themselves as stars of the future.

Dreaming in broad daylight: This is the kind of world that talented national swimmer Joe Aditya Kurniawan (21) lives in. He did not expect his swimming career to take off so quickly, in the span of just half a year, since he emerged as a rising star at the 20th National Games (PON) in Papua to become a mainstay at the South East Asian (SEA) Games.

Joe still remembers racing fiercely against his mentor, veteran swimmer Triady Fauzi Sidiq, at PON. In the 100-meter freestyle, he won silver after losing by only 0.04 seconds to Triady Fauzi.

That race marked the change of an era. Triady retired from the national training center after PON and Joe, the brightest debutant in Papua with three golds, six silvers and two bronzes, has now succeeded his senior.

“Before PON, we still had time to train together at the national training center. So when he [Triady] retired, I was actually sad because there was more I could’ve learned at the SEA Games,” said Joe.

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However, his sadness could not compare with his enthusiasm. Joe has yet to participate in a championship outside of Indonesia. The towering athlete is determined to gain experience from other great swimmers.

Joe can hardly wait to compete with his idol, Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling. The two may meet in several events, such as the 100 m butterfly. “I want to be like him [Schooling]. He’s a Southeast Asian swimmer who has won an Olympic gold. I’m definitely excited, but also nervous about racing against my own idol,” said the athlete from Jakarta.

According to the swimming team coach, Joe is one of the most persistent young athletes in the national training program. Without complaining, he always pushes through the tough programs of the swimming team’s foreign coach, Michael Piper. This hard work will bear fruit in Vietnam later.

According to Piper, the SEA Games mark an important milestone in Joe’s career. If he can show his best performance, he will gain confidence for future events. Confidence is crucial for young swimmers.

The spotlight is also on debutant weightlifter Natasya Beteyob (21). The Papuan athlete is a rising star who made her debut at PON Papua. She was recruited to the national training center by weightlifting head coach Dirdja Wihardja after she won silver in the women’s 55-kilogram event.

Natasya’s strong point, according to Dirdja, is her immense physical strength. She only needs technical training to become a future mainstay in Indonesian weightlifting. “She is a hidden gem that we found in Papua, and could possibly succeed Lisa Rumbewas in the future,” said Dirdja.

I’m excited but nervous, too, afraid that I won’t be able to do my best. Moreover, my opponent is very tough.

Natasya is currently on her way up. Although she failed to qualify for the 2016 PON in West Java, she successfully quenched her thirst five years later in Papua. Her desire to excel is even greater now, after training at the national training center alongside champions like Olympic lifter Eko Yuli Irawan.

However, this lifter from Bumi Cenderawasih (Land of Birds of Paradise, or Papua) is a little afraid to compete: She will be facing Philippines Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz. “I’m excited but nervous, too, afraid that I won’t be able to do my best. Moreover, my opponent is very tough,” said Natasya.

In artistic gymnastics, a heavy burden rests on the shoulders of petite gymnast Ameera Rahmajanni Hariadi, who is only 16 years old. She is the only athlete who is accompanying experienced gymnast Rifda Irfanaluthfi (22). Ameera, who has just entered her senior year in gymnastics training this year, still has very little experience.

Let alone on the international stage, she was not even old enough to take part in PON Papua, as she was still a junior athlete. The burden weighs more heavily on her, as the gymnastics team is looking for its new queen.

Rifda, nicknamed “queen of Indonesian gymnastics”, said that the event in Vietnam would be her last SEA Games. However, Ameera does not want to be distracted by this burden. She is more grateful for the opportunity to take part in her first SEA Games.

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“I’m definitely nervous, but I was given this opportunity and I will do my best. I want to make the most of performing with Kak [big sister] Rifda. She has always been my idol,” she said.

Joe, Ameera and Natasya are just three of the many debutant athletes in the Indonesian contingent. They are all arriving with one goal in mind: to contribute to Indonesia’s achievements and to kick-start their individual careers. They will use the SEA Games as a stepping-stone to higher events, such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.

Editor:

SYAHNAN RANGKUTI

vietnam 2021 sea games indonesia’s debutant athletes the 2021 south east asian games