We want citizens to not only see if the medal color is gold or not but to also see that all athletes that cleared the qualification of Olympics are heroes and warriors, who played a part in raising Indonesia's status in the eyes of the world.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Olympics Committee (KOI) Head Raja Sapta Oktohari emphasized that Olympics was not just about medals or winning or losing but it was also about the participating athletes that represented the nation.

In a written statement received here on Friday, the KOI head, often called Okto, asserted that the athletes' journey to clear the Olympics qualification process was no easy task. They go through series of championships for two years before the Olympics begin, he noted.

"We want citizens to not only see if the medal color is gold or not but to also see that all athletes that cleared the qualification of Olympics are heroes and warriors, who played a part in raising Indonesia's status in the eyes of the world," he affirmed.


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Seconding Okto’s view, Rosan P. Roeslani, who recently completed his duties as Indonesia's team Chef de Mission (CDM) at the Olympics, admitted to feeling a sense of pride over the athletes’ struggle to represent the Red and White flag, calling them sports patriots.

Roeslani said he was filled with pride not just when athletes won medals but also when he got to know more about the athletes that he worked with and their stories as well as experiences.

He believes the experience and memories he gained will linger on for a lifetime.


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On Thursday, Indonesia's Olympics Committee officially repatriated athletes, coaches, and officials of the Indonesian team at the Olympics Tokyo 2020 post-event. They have now returned to their training centers and sports federations.

These athletes were part of the last batch comprising the gold medal winners Apriyani Rahayu and Greysia Polii as well as bronze medalists Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Rahmat Erwin Abdullah.


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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Fadhli R
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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