Indonesia Ranks Third at 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam
Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali and SEA Games 2021 women’s doubles badminton medalists Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti. (Photo by: PR of Ministry of Youth and Sports/Rayki)
Indonesian contingent succeeded to secure the third place at the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam with a total of 242 medals, comprising 69 gold, 92 silver, and 81 bronze medals.
The first place was still won by the host with a total of 439 medals, consisting of 206 gold, 123 silver, and 111 bronze medals, whereas the second place was achieved by Thailand with 326 medals, comprising 92 gold, 101 silver, and 134 bronze medals.
According to Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali, Indonesia’s success in being in the top three of SEA Games this year is thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, especially athletes, proving that the National Sports Grand Design (DBON) is already on the right track.
“Compared to the previous SEA Games in the Philippines, it is different even in terms of the number of athletes deployed. In the Philippines, approximately 800 athletes were sent, but for the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, only a little more than half of that number of athletes left. However, thank God, the medals we won have met our expectations and we succeeded to enter the top three,” he said, quoted from the official website of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Monday (05/23).
The Minister also expressed appreciation to every party involved, starting from the athletes, Chef de Mission, the National Olympic Committee (KOI), the National Sports Committee of Indonesia (KONI), to the Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam.
Furthermore, the Minister stated that moving forward, the Government will use the same methods and system to send off athletes to international sports events, adding that in fact, it will be stricter.
In 2023, there will be Asian Games and SEA Games in Cambodia.
“I think this result is not yet successful because our challenges in the future are much heavier. Our main target is the Olympics. To get there, we must begin the transformation of Indonesian sports paradigm starting from now,” he said while expressing optimism that if the new sports paradigm is well-implemented consistently, Indonesia will enter the global top five in the 2044 Olympics target for Golden Indonesia in 2045.
“I am certain that we can be in the global top five if we are consistent with the transformation of new sports paradigm,” he said.
For the record, the 31st SEA Games was set to take place from November 21 to December 2, 2021, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The biennial event was officially opened at Mỹ Đình National Stadium in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, Thursday (05/12) night at local time.
The Southeast Asian sports event was participated by eleven countries in the ASEAN region, namely Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, East Timor, Brunei Darussalam, and Myanmar.
The 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam held 532 sports contests out of 40 sports. Indonesia sent a total of 776 delegates, consisting of 499 athletes, 214 officials, and 63 chaperones, with the contingent participating in 318 sports contests out of 32 sports. (FID/PR of Ministry of Youth and Sports/UN) (DH/MMB)
