It seems that climbing is one of the sports that can truly become our hope (to get medals at the Olympics).Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo expects that Indonesian athletes' good achievements at the 2023 International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) World Cup would help them to excel at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"It seems that climbing is one of the sports that can truly become our hope (to get medals at the Olympics),” he remarked, as quoted from the Youth and Sports Ministry’s website on Monday.
Ariotedjo noted that the achievements of Indonesian climbing athletes amid the Sport Climbing World Cup Series demonstrated that they were superior athletes.
“Thus, I hope we will have good luck during the 2024 Olympics,” he stated.
Indonesia recently hosted one of the series of the 2023 IFSC World Cup in Jakarta on May 6-7, 2023. Meanwhile, the 2024 Olympics is scheduled to take place in France on July 26 to August 11, 2024.
"Thank God, we (Indonesia), as host (of the competition), could bag gold and bronze medals from the male event,” the minister noted.
He also felt grateful for the achievement of Indonesian female climbing athlete, Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, who bagged a silver medal at the Indonesian series of the world cup.
Dewi’s achievement was better than her performance in the earlier series of the world cup held in Seoul, South Korea, on April 28-30, 2023, during which she won a bronze medal, Ariotedjo stated.
The minister said that the government will always support the implementation of any international sporting championships in Indonesia.
"We highly support the funding and organizing of such world events. We have also readied a long-term national athlete training program, training center, and (program to send our athlete to partake in) trials abroad," he remarked.
He expected that Indonesian athletes will be able to maintain their achievements at the next series of the IFSC World Cup to be held in Salt Lake City, the United States, on May 19-21, 2023.
Chairperson of the Indonesian Sport Climbing Federation (FPTI) Yenny Wahid said she was grateful since the achievement of Indonesian athletes in the Jakarta series of the climbing world cup surpassed the target.
"Thank God and thank you very much for the support from all Indonesian people, who watched the competition in person or virtually. Certainly, we are very happy with the achievements,” she remarked.
She noted that the initial target for the athletes was one gold medal and one bronze medal.
At the competition, Indonesian male athletes, Raharjati Nursamsa and Kiromal Katibin, clinched the gold and bronze medals, respectively, while Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi bagged the silver medal from the female event.
“This is extraordinary. We must ensure that this achievement can be maintained in the future," Wahid stated.
A total of 120 athletes from 24 countries participated in the world championship in Jakarta, which only held the speed event. Indonesia sent 12 male athletes and 10 female athletes in the event.
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Translator: Arindra Meodia, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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