Sulaksana recorded a 10.00 score after winning two of the three sailing matches held at Hamadi Beach, Jayapura, on Wednesday.
His current PON XX Games gold medal was his eighth, as he always delivered a podium performance since his first sailing gold medal during the 1993 PON XIII Games in Jakarta and the succeeding PON Games.
Despite winning eight gold medals in the PON Games, Sulaksana expressed hope that the ongoing coaching process would produce potential sailing athletes that could defeat him in future.
"We also want our athletes to provide coaching to each other because at present, no one could replace me in the top tier despite my old age," the sailor affirmed.
Sulaksana stated that the national-level championships were necessary to allow sailing athletes from other regions to spar and compare their abilities while noting that coaching for sailing athletes in Bali had successfully produced potential athletes, such as Komang Suartana, who had defeated him multiple times.
He also affirmed his readiness to coach Indonesian sailing athletes to nurture and train a new generation of sailing athletes.
"I suggest that the Indonesian sailing sports federation conceives a coaching program for veteran athletes to allow them to train young sailing athletes, as it is better for us if we decided to not compete in future competitions," Sulaksana noted.
As Sulaksana won in the men's 9.5 RSX sailing event, West Papua sailor I Gede Subagiasa secured the silver medal by scoring 22.00 points, while East Java sailor Susilo won the bronze medal after clocking 24.00 points.
Sailing competition at the PON XX National Games has entered the fourth day, and the next match numbers -- handicap sailing marathon and RS:One class sailing marathon -- are scheduled for Thursday (Oct 7).
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Translator: Gilang G, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Sri Haryati
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