My opponents at PON are also world champion athletes. For sure, I will remain optimistic and give my best.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A number of elite Indonesian athletes are preparing to compete in the PON National Games XX, including olympian Azzahra Permatahani and rock climbing world record holders Veddriq Leonardo and Aries Susanti Rahayu.

Permatahani, a swimming athlete who participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said she is determined to improve her time record at the PON National Games, which will be held from October 3 to 15, 2021 in Papua province.

"I personally targeted my own time record, how to improve the previous records, and how to break the record, because if my focus is time, the medal will come by itself," she said at the Merdeka Barat 9 Forum, held online here on Monday.

After competing in the Tokyo Olympics, Permatahani, who currently holds three national records, was training for the SEA Games, but after the Southeast Asian multi-sports event was postponed, she decided to focus on the PON National Games.

She said that despite having competed at the global level, PON was very important to her. The 19-year-old said that in addition to carrying the name of her province, the national sports event has become a benchmark for her.

"Being selected in PON, I am focused on anything that is lacking, so that it can be improved post-PON," Permatahani, who collected a silver medal for the women's 200m individual medley and bronze medal for the women's 500m individual medley at the Philippines' 2019 SEA Games, said.

Meanwhile, rock climbing athlete, Veddriq Leonardo, who recently won the IFSC Climbing World Cup 2021 in the United States, said PON is offering the same atmosphere as world-level competitions.

"My opponents at PON are also world champion athletes. For sure, I will remain optimistic and give my best," Leonardo said.

"This is a commitment to bring rock climbing forward in PON, which is held once in four years," he added.

Concurring with him, rock climbing athlete Rahayu said she would try to perform her best at PON XX.

"Every athlete wants gold. I have never won a gold medal in PON. I will work hard for Central Java province and for Indonesian rock climbing," the 2018 Asian Games gold medalist affirmed.

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Translator: Arindra M, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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