Indonesia aims for gold in weightlifting at Paris Olympics
Members of the team include Rizki Juniansyah, gold medallist at this year’s weightlifting world cup.
Indonesian weightlifter Rizki Juniansyah in action during the men's 81kg at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. (File photo: REUTERS/Andy Chua)
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JAKARTA: After winning seven silvers and eight bronzes in weightlifting at the Olympic Games, Indonesia is aiming for that elusive first gold.
Hopes are pinned on the team the country is fielding, including gold medallist at this year’s weightlifting world cup Rizki Juniansyah.
The 21-year-old son of former weightlifters who holds a world record for his total lift of 365kg, is all set for his Olympics debut.
The previous world record was held by Chinese lifter Shi Zhiyong, who lifted 364kg to win the gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics men’s 73kg weightlifting event - the same category Rizki will compete in.
“This has been my dream since I was young, from the first time I trained, watching (former Indonesian weightlifter) Mas Triyatno and seeing my own father,” he told CNA.
“I want to get a gold medal at the Olympics. God willing, I want to create a new history for Indonesia.”
The Games will be held from Friday to Aug 11.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM
The only woman in the team is Nurul Akmal, who comes from a small village in the Aceh province. Nurul, who came in fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, hopes that more women will be able to represent Indonesia in the sport and qualify for the Olympics in future editions.
In Aceh, women are more associated with household matters. Weightlifting is also seen as a sport primarily for men, which meant that her parents initially did not agree with her choice.
“Eventually, I helped them to understand and now they are more proud, more supportive and I am able to raise their prestige,” she said.
Competing in what could be his swan song is 35-year-old Eko Yuli Irawan. In 2008, he won the bronze medal in his maiden Olympic appearance at the age of 18.
Today, Eko has participated in four consecutive editions of the Games and landed a podium finish in each of them, making him Indonesia's athlete with the most number of Olympic medals.
“Maybe in terms of age, I'm already a senior and it's possible that we'll see whether it's the end or not for me after this. What's certain is that this is very important for me. Even if it's the end of my career, at least I’ll give a sweet ending,” he said.
COACH, PARENT, FRIEND
For coach Muhammad Rusli, training has been focused on bringing home the gold. But as the team's manager, his duty extends beyond training sessions.
“At the training ground, we are coaches, 100 per cent coaches. But outside of training, if the athletes have any issues, we can also play the role of parents,” he said.
“If the athletes are bored or fed up and have problems, we can also play the role of an older brother. We even have to be able to position ourselves as their friend - this is essential.”
