President Sees off Indonesian Contingents to Cambodia

President Joko Widodo hoped that the Indonesian contingents would achieve better results compared with the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo poses for a photo with athletes after the ceremony of sending off Indonesian contingents who will compete in the 2023 Cambodia XXXII SEA Games.

PHNOM PENH, KOMPAS — Excitement over the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games reverberated throughout the city of Phnom Penh on Tuesday (2/5/2023), which was three days ahead of the official commencement on May 5, as Cambodians welcomed sporting ambassadors from neighboring countries. In Jakarta, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo officially released the Indonesian contingents.

With preparations for the opening ceremony gathering pace in Phnom Penh, the Games’ atmosphere is palpable from the airport to the tourist centers, where promotional banners are ubiquitous and lively.

Posters, banners and videotrons promoting the region’s biggest multi-event sporting showcase adorn public places. At Phnom Penh International Airport, athletes and officials from participating countries were greeted by government dignitaries along with dozens of volunteers.

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In Jakarta, President Jokowi spoke to the Indonesian contingent members in the front yard of the Merdeka Palace before sending them off. He hoped that the Indonesian contingents would achieve better results compared with the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.

"At the SEA Games in Vietnam we won 69 gold medals and we were ranked third. Now it should be better than that. I want the gold [medals] to be more than 69. The rank will also be better than third. There are only two choices, first or second rank," he said.

I want the gold [medals] to be more than 69.

The President acknowledged that it would not be an easy task to meet the target, but he believed the athletes had more than enough potential. "I see the athletes have sufficient provisions to compete in Cambodia," he said.

The President’s reception of the sporting delegation was followed with remarks by Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo at his office. The 884-strong delegation comprises 599 athletes, 230 coaches and officials, as well as 55 supporting members. They will participate in 31 of 36 sports with hopes of winning at least 60 gold medals to stand a chance to retain third place in the final standings.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo greets and chats with athletes during the ceremony of sending off Indonesian contingents who will compete in the SEA Games XXXII Cambodia 2023 at the Merdeka Palace yard, Jakarta, Tuesday (2/5/2023).

"This contingent has gone through a focused preparation workout at the national training center,” Dito said, adding that the training program has been done as part of the implementation of Presidential Regulation No. 86/2021 concerning the grand design of national sports.

“With this development [program], athletes are expected to be able to produce optimal performance. The SEA Games and the Asian Games are intermediary targets toward the Olympics as the main goal,” he said. “Fight and compete as best you can, because the results at the SEA Games will become a benchmark for the upcoming [Paris 2024] Olympics,” he told the athletes.

He said the team had been formed out of well-measured consideration and evaluation by the ministry-administered National Sports Achievement Improvement Review Team (PPON). The athletes had gone through a selection process based on their track record of performance and achievements before being included in the team.

With this development [program], athletes are expected to be able to produce optimal performance.

Regarding the medal target, according to Dito, the ministry calculated that the athletes could potentially win as many as 60 gold medals for Indonesia to retain the third position.

“We will be down 39 categories which we achieved gold in Vietnam, because those categories are not included in the Cambodian SEA Games. To make up for the gold, we have reviewed the existing events thoroughly before being resolved to win around 60 gold medals," Dito said.

Regarding President Jokowi's high target, Dito said they would try their best. “It is the instruction of our top leader, our commander-in-chief’s instructions. So, we, as soldiers, will try our best to meet [his] target. Earlier, I reported to the President that our target is 60 gold medals, winning third place is realistic," he said.

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Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari said he appreciated the ministry’s sports program that had enabled a collaboration between the PPON and academics, practitioners as well as other sports stakeholders to set up the Indonesian squad for the 2023 SEA Games. Appreciation was also extended to sports administrators, who he said had been committed to and focused on preparing the national training.

"To the Indonesian CdM [Chef de Mission] at the 2023 SEA Games, do your best to serve the athletes so they can fight, sing the Indonesia Raya national anthem and hoist the red and white flag up high," he said.

This article was translated by Musthofid.