Mainstay
Asian Games
Lindswell is a world champion who dominates several Wushu categories at the SEA Games. However, she has yet to win gold in the Asian Games. This year’s Games will be the perfect moment for Lindswell to win one and pay off her hard work.
Badminton has always been Indonesia’s mainstay sport to hunt for golds in international sports events. In this year’s Asian Games, Indonesian athletes will fight on the home turf. This will be the Asian Games debuts for many athletes in the national badminton team, including for the world’s number one men’s doubles team, Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo-Marcus Fernaldi Gideon.
In the national badminton team for Asian Games, only Tontowi Ahmad, Liliyana Natsir, Greysia Polii, Debby Susanto, Mohammad Ahsan and Ihsan Maulana Mustofa had played in Asian Games before. Other than Kevin-Marcus, Indonesia will also rely on Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the men’s doubles, instead of 2014 Incheon Asian Games gold medalists Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan.
Indonesia has maintained an 18-year tradition of winning Olympic gold in weighlifting. Now, the “Red and White” weightlifting team seeks to make history by winning their first Asian Games gold. The nation will rely on 13 lifters in this year’s Games, where te nation’s best lifters will participate in nine out of 14 categories.
Indonesia’s male weightlifting team comprises Surahmat (56-kilogram class), Muhammad Purkon and Eko Yuli Irawan (62 kg), Deni and Triyanto (69 kg) and I Ketut Ariana and Rahmat Erwin Abdullah (77 kg). The female lifting team comprises Sri Wahyuni Agustiani and Yolanda Putri (48 kg), Syarah Anggraini (53 kg), Acchedya Jagadditha (58 kg), Yuripah Melsandi (69 kg) and Nurul Akmal (+75 kg).
Other than winning gold, Indonesia’s pencak silat team has a special mission of maintaining the martial art in the list of contested sports in subsequent Asian Games. Pencak silat is identical to Indonesia. The Indonesian martial art has been promoted globally for years.
This year will be the first time the sport is contested in the Asian Games. The Indonesian team targets to win six golds, exceeding the government’s target of three golds. This will not be easy, as other countries have become more formidable in recent years.
Rock climbing is another potential field of golds for Indonesia in this year’s Asian Games. The host country will rely on speed climbing to get two golds. This year will be the first time rock climbing is contested in the Asian Games.
With its athletes’ recent string of achievements, Indonesia has positioned itself as the best country in rock climbing in Asia. In speed climbing, Indonesia’s national rock climbing team defeated Russia and was named the world’s best in speed climbing by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) earlier this year. Two of Indonesia’s rock climbers, Aries Susanti Rahayu and Aspar Jaelolo, are among the world’s elite climbers.
Thanks to their string of victories in various international paragliding championships, Indonesian “wind riders” are among the nation’s best hopes to win gold in the 2018 Asian Games. Competitions in six categories will be held from Aug. 20 to 29 in Gunung Mas in Puncak, Bogor.
Indonesia expects to secure gold from women’s accuracy, men’s accuracy and individual accuracy. It may be difficult for Indonesia to win gold in cross-country paragliding as many foreign athletes are more skilled in this category.
This year will be the first time Jet Ski is contested in the Asian Games. At the Asian Beach Games, six categories are contested, namely runabout open, runabout 1000, runabout endurance, runabout stock, open ski and sport GP. Jet Ski is among Indonesia’s hope for gold.
Indonesian athlete Aero Aswar is a world champion in Jet Ski. Aero and his teammates said that they were optimistic they could give their best for the nation. Jet Ski competitions will be held at ANcol Beach in Ancol Dreamland from Aug. 23 to 26.
New Delhi in India served as host for the first ever Asian Games in 1951. Some 491 athletes from 11 countries participated.
Indonesia was among the participating countries, along with Afghanistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Iran, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and India itself. The first Asian Games was opened by Indian President Rajendra Prasa at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Istimewa
Annie Salamun (wearing glasses) at the first Asian Games in New Delhi, India, in 1951.
Repro 70 Tahun PSSI
Tan Liong Houw shook hands with Indian Prime Ministyer Jawaharlal Nehru as part of the Indonesian national team in the first Asian Games in India in 1951.
Six sports were contested, namely athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, cycling (road race and track), football and weightlifting. Athletes compete for 169 golds.
New Delhi served as Asian Games host for the second time in 1982. The 9th Asian Games was held from Nov. 19 to Dec. 4, 1982. Some 4,595 athletes from 33 countries participated in the event. New sports in competition included handball, horse riding, rowing and golf.
Kompas
Delegations of athletes marched in the 1982 Asian Games opening ceremony.
The second Asian Games was held in Manila, the Philippines, on April 24 – May 9, 1954. The number of participants grew as 970 athletes from 19 countries took part. Filipino President Ramon Magsaysay officially opened the event at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Malate, Manila.
Eight sports were in competition, namely athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, boxing, football, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling. Some 229 gold medals were contested.
Tokyo hosted the Asian Games on May 24 – June 1, 2958. The number of participants increased with 1,820 athletes from 20 countries taking part. Japanese Emperor Hirohito opened the sports event.
Some 12 sports were contested, namely athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, cycling (road race and track), field hockey, football, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting and wrestling. Some 350 gold medals were contested.
Jakarta, Indonesia, got its turn to host the Asian Games in 1962. The sports event, held from Augs. 24 to Sept. 4, was officially opened by President Soekarno at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex. Some 1,460 athletes from 17 Asian countries took part.
Kompas
This is Sarengat who won two golds at the 4th Asian Games in Jakarta in 1962. In the sports event, Indonesia finished as runner-up while Japan won the most golds.
Some 13 sports were contested in the event, including athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, boxing, cycling (road race and track), hockey, football, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volley ball and wrestling. Some 372 gold medals were contested in the 1962 Asian Games.
Bangkok, Thailand, hosted the Asian Games in 1966, four years after Jakarta did in 1962. The 1966 Asian Games was held on Dec. 9-20. Some 1,945 athletes from 18 countries participated. King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially opened the games at Supachalasai Stadium.
Repro/Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Indonesia’s women’s doubles tennis pair Lanny Kaligis (center) and Lita Sugiarto (right) after winning gold at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Some 14 sports were contested, including athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, badminton, boxing, cycling, field hockey, football, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volley ball, weightlifting and wrestling. Some 372 gold medals were contested.
Bangkok made history by hosting two Asian Games back to back, after South Korea withdrew itself as host due to financial and security reasons. Some 2,400 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.
Some 15 sports were contested, including athletics, aquatics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, badminton, boxing, cycling, field hockey, football, sailing, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volley ball, weightlifting and wrestling. Some 423 gold medals were contested.
Thailand hosted the Asian Games for the third time on Dec. 9-20, 1978. Singapore had won the bid as host but later withdrew due to financial reason.
Islamabad, Pakistan, had been proposed as host but it was quickly rejected after protest grew in South Asia due to the country’s ongoing conflicts with Bangladesh and India. King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially opened the event.
Some 3,842 athletes from 25 countries participated in 21 sports and competed for 626 golds.
Kompas/Ryadi, Kartono
Indonesian swimmers at the 8th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1978.
Kompas/Syamin Pardede
North Sumatran cyclist Sutiyono at the 8th Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1978.
Bangkok hosted the Asian Games yet again on Dec. 6-20, 1998. Some 6,554 athletes from 41 countries participated. They competed in 36 sports and for 1,225 gold medals. New sports included canoeing, kabbadi and sepak takraw.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej officially opened the event at the Rajamangala National Stadium.
The 7th Asian Games was held in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 1-16, 1974. Iran Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi opened the Games at the Aryamehr Stadium. Some 3,010 athletes from 25 countries competed in 18 sports, including athletics (swimming, diving and water polo), basketball, badminton, boxing, cycling, fencing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, shooting, table tennis, volley ball, wrestling and weightlifting. Some 609 gold medals were contested.
Seoul hosted the Asian Games on Sept. 20 – Oct. 5, 1986. Some 4,839 athletes from 27 countries competed in 24 sports, including archery, horse riding, fencing, handball, judo and rowing.
President Chun Doo-hwan attended the opening ceremony held at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. Some 848 medals were contested.
Arsip Kompas
The Indonesian sports contingent took part in the 10th Asian Games’ opening ceremony march at the Seoul Olympic Stadium on Saturday (20/9). Shooter Mudjiono held the national flag in front of chef de mission Soeweno. Volley ball athlete Salindri Alwiwik wore traditional dress in front of the flag bearer.
Kompas
The semifinal round football match was held between Indonesia and South Korea at the 10th Asian Games in Seoul in 1986. South Korea won the match and advanced to the final round after defeating Indonesia 0-4 (0-1).
Beijing hosted the Asian Games on Sept. 22 – Oct. 7, 1990. Some 6,122 athletes from 36 countries participated in 27 sports and two exhibition events, namely baseball and soft tennis. Chinese President Yang Shangkun attended the ceremony in Beijing.
Kompas/Rene L Pattiradjawane
The preparations ahead of the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Games in Beijing in early September, 1990
Kompas/Julian Sihombing
The Indonesian sports contingent at the closing ceremony of the 11th Asian Games at the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, China. Indonesia won three golds in the event, namely one in boxing by Pino Bahari and two in tennis – one in women’s doubles by Yayuk Basuki and Suzana Anggakusuma and the other from mixed doubles by Yayuk Basuki and Suharyadi.
Hiroshima in Japan hosted the Asian Games from Oct. 2 to 16, 1994. Some 6,828 athletes and officials from 42 countries participated and 1,079 medals were contested.
Kompas/Arbain Rambey
A photo session at the swimming competition in the Hiroshima Asian Games in 1994.
The 2002 Asian Games was held in Busan, South Korea, on Sept. 29 – Oct. 14. Busan was the second South Korean city to host the Games after Seoul in 1986.
Some 7,711 athletes from 44 countries participated in 419 competitions in 38 sports. Some 1,350 gold medals were contested.
Kompas/KARTONO RYADI
Bambang Maulidin (right), who won bronze at the 2002 Asian Games, took a picture with karate gold medalist Hasan Basri (left) at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
Kompas/Irving Noor
The beach volley ball game at the 14th Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.
The 2006 Asian Games was held in Doha, Qatar, on Dec. 1-16, 2006. Some 9,520 athletes from 45 countries competed in 39 spots. Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al-Thani attended the opening ceremony at the Khalifa International Stadium. Some 1,393 medals were contested.
Kompas/DANU KUSWORO
The Games’ organizing committee seemed to have put security of sports venues as the top priority. Apart from closing all the venues for one month before the Games began, the committee only allowed those with special badges to enter the locations. This is photo of the main stadium at the Sports City, which was where the opening ceremony was held.
Kompas/DANU KUSWORO
Indonesian weightlifter Raema Lisa Rumbewas, which lifted a total of 217 kilograms, failed to win bronze at the women’s 53-kilogram at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Hong Kong athlete Wei Li Yu, who lifted the same amount as Lisa, was named the bronze medalist as she weighed lower than Lisa.
Kompas/DANU KUSWORO
The Indonesian contingent in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, could only bring home two golds, three silvers and 15 bronzes, far below the minimum target of four golds. Restoring Indonesia’s glory in international sports events should be the top priority of the National Sports Committee (KONI) chair-elect.
The 16th Asian Games was held in Guangzhou, China, on Nov. 12-27, 2010. Some 9,704 athletes from 45 countries participated. The event’s opening ceremony was held at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium. The Asian Games included 42 sports, in which a total of 1,577 medals were contested.
Antara/Andika Wahyu
The Indonesian contingent waved the national flag while marching in the opening ceremony of the Guangzhou Asian Games in Haixinsha Island in Guangzhoue on Friday (12/11/2010) night.
Kompas/KORANO NICOLASH
A traditional Batak song from North Sumatra represented Indonesia in the closing ceremony of the 16th Asian Games on Saturday (27/11/2010) in Haixinsha Island in the middle of Pearl River that runs through Guangzhou. The Gita Nusantara Group was on board a “ship” when singing the traditional song “Sing Sing So”.
The 17th Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea was held on Sept. 19 – Oct. 4, 2014. Some 9,501 athletes from 45 countries participated. South Korean President Park Geun-hye officially opened the event at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. Some 1,454 medals were contested in 36 sports.
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Asian Games 2014 swimmer Triady Fauzi Sidiq was practicing the butterfly stroke at the Karang Setra swimming pool in Bandung on Saturday (3/5).
Kompas/WISNU AJI DEWABRATA
Wushu athlete Juwita Niza Wasni (left) won a silver, the first medal for Indonesia, at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, on Saturday (20/9) at the Ganghwa Dolmens Gymnasium Stadium. Juwita competed in Nandao and Nanquan categories.
Kompas/Totok Wijayanto
Indonesian triple jump athlete Maria Londa performed her jump in the finals of women’s triple jump in the 2014 Asian Games at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium in South Korea on Wednesday (1/10). Londa did not win a medal in the competition.
Writer: Prasetyo Eko Prihananto | Language Editor: Hibar Himawan | Graphic Designers: Parlindungan Siregar, Maria Karina Putri | Developers: Deny Ramanda, Ria Chandra | Producers: Prasetyo Eko Prihananto, Septa Inigopatria | Sources: INASGOC, Kompas Archive
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