I will present gold for JambiJakarta (ANTARA) - Indri Sukmaningsih realizes that she is no longer young, being born on July 24, 1990, yet the fire in her stays ablaze as she is set to earn gold medal in the coming Papua National Sports Week (PON).
She was fully immersed in her training upon being visited by ANTARA's team in Jambi's Tri Lomba Juang KONI Stadion on Tuesday.
Sukmaningsih (31) absorbed everything, from physical to tactical training, taught by her two coaches known as Ardiman, and Widodo. She sacrificed almost three hours training, in the morning and evening, to achieve the gold medal in Papua National Sports Week XX 2021.
"I am fully aware that (I am) no longer young and (I) have a son. But to achieve that dream, hard work is needed. And I am ready in the coming National Sports Week," she said.
Sukmaningsih wishes for prayers and support from the family, friends, and Jambi residents, so all her effort would bear a sweet fruit in form of gold medal.
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She will participate in female freestyle of 76 kilogram. She is set to get the gold medal, despite not being so young anymore, and the possibility of facing difficult adversaries. She believes that God will help her bring the victory home through constant prayers and neverending hard work.
"I will present gold for Jambi," she said. The gold medal will also be presented for her son, Umar, whom she and her husband will have to leave for a while in order to achieve the dream.
Sukmaningsih, who has disability and born from a not-so-affluent family, has been involved in sports since she was in elementary school.
"My coach named Mister Ardiman was my teacher at Jambi 174 Elementary School. He was the first one to invite me to the world of athletics from third grade to sixth grade. Afterwards, I was invited to wrestling by him," she said, reminiscing.
Under Ardiman's guidance, she trained with Retno and Era, her two friends. Yet during national championship, those two earned medals, while she came home empty-handed.
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"I saw Era got a medal, and also got in national centralized exercise (Pelatnas) in East Kalimantan. I'm envious inside, because Era received incentive money from KONI," she said. That's how the spirit to achieve something great was born.
She first practiced wrestling in 2002, when she was about 12 years old. From young age, she scored many accomplishments in national events, all thanks to support and motivation from her fellows.
Several times she participated in National Sports Week, representing Jambi. It begun from 2004 National Sports Week in Palembang, where female wrestling was initiated as exhibition branch.
Sukmaningsih participated in the 55 kilogram class in 2008 National Sports Week, and she secured a silver medal. In 2012, she also got a silver medal. Initially, she was set to get the gold medal, but they reviewed upon what was considered as violation during the final against Papuan wrestler, so she had to be satisfied with silver medal.
In 2016 National Sports Week, she once more fought for the medals, yet she only got bronze. After the series of silvers and bronze, she was set to get the gold medal in 2021 National Sports Week Papua, and asked for prayers to achieve such.
Currently, she works as Jambi Public Order Officer (Satpol PP). Her education begun at Jambi 174 State Elementary School, which she finished in 2001, followed by enrolling to Jambi 5 State Middle School, graduating in 2008. After her graduation from high school in 2008, she finished her higher education in Jambi University, taking a bachelor's degree in sports.
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She admitted that she was injured several times during her time practicing wrestling, yet her spirit never fades. She is ready to fight and win for Jambi in national level.
"Once I had shoulder injury, dislocated knee, and bent finger," she said.
"I won't be a hypocrite. I got a lot of money from wrestling. It is one of my motivations, since I am not from affluent family, we are from middle to lower class family. I used to get incentives from KONI every month, and if (I) got medal during National Sports Week, (I) got so much bonus and incentives," she added.
Indri admits that every time she competes in national championships and gets a gold medal, she also gets incentive money from Jambi KONI every month until now. They money was enough for her to go to university, pay for her parents' living expenses, even erase her parents' debts. She also got a legitimate job because of wrestling.
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Sukmaningsih, the youngest of three siblings, the son of Erna Rahim and Nur Santoso, also advised the younger generation of the wrestling branch to continue practicing, improving, honing their abilities, so that they could push themselves more into greatness, She also reminds them to be proud of PGSI Jambi, because outside the Jambi area, female wrestlers are great and advanced.
"I really hope that (the generation of) female Jambi wrestlers doesn't stop at me. I want my juniors to go beyond what I have achieved. That they can partake in the SEA Games like the others," she said.
Many would think that wrestling is a men-only sports branch, yet currently more women than men are pursuing this sport in Jambi Province. It is hoped that there will always be other prospective, potential Jambi female wrestlers who can aim for greatness in the future.
At the Papua XX National Sports Week, Indri Sukmaningsih goes to Merauke along with two other Jambi wrestling athletes, Trijaya Kusuma who will compete in the 125kg class and M Rizki Akbar in the 65kg class, to win medals.
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Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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