The infrastructure upgrade is also accompanied by structured talent development at the regional level.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s triumph as overall champions at the 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia once again showed that the country's para-athletics achievements are moving from strength to strength.

During the event, which took place on June 12-20 and was attended by 58 countries, the Indonesian contingent secured 15 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze medals, sharing the top spot in the standings with Ukraine, which recorded an identical medal tally.

This latest triumph adds to the growing list of international successes achieved by Indonesian para-athletes in recent years, after showcasing their competitiveness at the Paris Paralympics and ASEAN Para Games.

Nevertheless, Tunisia is by no means the finish line. For the coaching staff, this result is simply part of a larger roadmap aimed at securing as many qualification slots as possible for the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Indonesia's gold medal haul was still largely driven by the veteran athletes who have long served as the backbone of the national team.

Saptoyogo Purnomo once again demonstrated his consistency in the sprint events, winning three gold medals in the men's 100-meter T37, the 200-meter T37-T38, and the 4x100-meter universal relay.

Indeed, the athlete is a familiar face on the international stage. Over the past few seasons, Saptoyogo has maintained peak form across various world championships, establishing himself as one of Indonesia's most reliable athletes.

Likewise, Nanda Mei Sholihah delivered an impressive performance, clinching three gold medals in the women's 100-meter T46-47, the 200-meter T46-47, and the 4x100-meter universal relay.

Meanwhile, Karisma Evi Tiarani secured two gold medals, winning the women's 100-meter T36/42/44 and the women's long jump events.

While the dominance of experienced names remains Indonesia's primary strength, the achievements in Tunisia also provided positive signals for the team's regeneration. One such breakthrough came from Alfin Nomleni of East Nusa Tenggara, who won the 400-meter T20 event with a time of 48.82 seconds.

Alfin’s achievement carries weight beyond just adding another gold to the tally. The young athlete admitted he initially lost his confidence when he saw his taller opponents. Nevertheless, he eventually brushed those doubts aside on the track.

After securing the victory, Alfin made it clear that his ambitions do not stop in Tunisia. He is already targeting the 2026 Asian Para Games and the 2028 Paralympics as his next milestones.

The emergence of athletes like Alfin indicates that the development and regeneration initiatives carried out by the Indonesian National Paralympic Committee (NPC Indonesia) are beginning to show tangible results.

Indeed, Indonesia is still relying on its veteran athletes with a long track record of international-level achievements. However, the emergence of fresh new talent provides a boost of optimism for the country.

This optimism must be viewed in context, since securing the overall championship in Tunisia does not automatically grant Indonesia a ticket to the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, scheduled for October.

The Asian Para Games qualification system relies on points accumulated across various official World Para Athletics events, meaning the standings of a single tournament do not guarantee a spot.

Tunisia served as a vital opportunity to gather qualification points for the Asian Para Games. Nearly all participating Asian nations competed with the same objective: to improve their standing on the qualification list before the July 31, 2026 deadline.

This reality made the competition far more complex than a simple race for medals.

Countries that missed out on the overall championship title can still secure more slots for their athletes if they maintain consistent performances throughout the entire qualification series.

Following the Tunisia competition, the Indonesian athletes are scheduled for a centralized training camp in Surakarta before heading to Mexico in late July for another international championship, which will serve as the final opportunity to gather qualification points for the 2026 Asian Para Games.

The race to Nagoya will be anything but easy. Asian nations are steadily ramping up their investments in para-sports, both in athlete development and sports science support. The 2026 World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Tunisia offered a clear picture of just how fierce this competition has become.

Right behind Indonesia and Ukraine, host country Tunisia finished with a haul of 10 gold, 6 silver, and 9 bronze medals.

The competition demonstrates that the performance gap between nations is rapidly narrowing. Success is no longer determined solely by the athletes' raw talent, but also by the effectiveness of development systems, competitive schedules, and the ability to maintain peak performance throughout the entire season.



Infrastructure and talent scouting

Indonesia's success is inseparable from its efforts to strengthen the domestic Paralympic sports ecosystem, including through the development of the Indonesia Paralympic Training Center (IPTC) in Karanganyar, Central Java.

The facility is being constructed on an approximately 80,000-square-meter plot of land. This next phase of development encompasses the construction of an educational building, a sports arena, a training center for team sports, a skybridge connecting the buildings, and a hybrid generator power system.

The existing infrastructure is already relatively comprehensive, featuring arenas for various Paralympic sports, an athletics track, a swimming pool, a football pitch, and athlete housing designed in accordance with accessibility principles.

This infrastructure serves as a vital foundation for long-term development.

Previously, the achievements of Indonesian Para-athletes often stemmed from sheer individual dedication and the hard work of coaches amid various constraints.

With these facilities now taking shape, athlete development can transition to the next level through enhanced sports science, performance analysis, rehabilitation, and more integrated medical services.

The infrastructure upgrade is also accompanied by structured talent development at the regional level. In 2025, NPC Indonesia launched the Breaking Boundaries talent scouting program to identify and develop promising athletes across various provinces.

With a broader scouting system and a clear development pathway leading to the national training camp, the prospects of producing more high-achieving athletes are stronger than ever.

Driven by a strong mix of veteran experience and emerging talent, backed by a modernizing sports infrastructure, Indonesia has built the foundation needed to sustain its momentum on the global stage.



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Editor: M Razi Rahman
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