Indonesia ranked ahead of Vietnam in third place, which collected 86 gold, 79 silver and 110 bronze medals. With several events remaining on Saturday, Indonesia's gold medal tally is mathematically certain to remain out of Vietnam’s reach.
"This runner-up position marks a new chapter in history, considering the last time Indonesia achieved second place without hosting the SEA Games was in 1995," Thohir said in a statement on Saturday.
He referred to the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where Indonesia finished second overall with 77 gold, 67 silver and 77 bronze medals, marking the country's best overseas performance in the regional multi-sport event.
Indonesia's gold medal haul at the 2025 SEA Games also surpassed its previous best performance when competing abroad, Thohir said.
The highest gold medal tally previously achieved overseas was at the 1993 SEA Games, when Indonesia collected 88 gold, 81 silver and 84 bronze medals to finish as overall champions.
"In past SEA Games held outside Indonesia, our position was generally third or fourth," Thohir noted.
He said the strong performance of Indonesian athletes in Thailand was inseparable from the support of President Prabowo Subianto, including an additional incentive of Rp1 billion (nearly US$60,000) promised to gold medal winners.
Thohir expressed confidence that the incentive boosted athletes' motivation and provided reassurance for parents of future sports talents.
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Translator: Fajar, Kenzu
Editor: Anton Santoso
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