Akademi ini akan diperuntukan bagi anak berusia 5 hingga 18 tahun, untuk mengembangkan bakat dan keterampilan mereka dalam sepak bola. Akademi itu juga mempunyai visi panjang untuk menciptakan pemain masa depan berkualitas untuk kelangsungan masa depan sepak bola Indonesia.

“Sekarang sudah ada beberapa sekolah sepak bola, tapi tampaknya ini (FCB Escola Indonesia) merupakan program jangka panjang, dari usia dini. Apalagi, saya pikir ini cukup lengkap, karena dibekali dengan program jangka panjang yang baik. Jadi, kita sangat menyambut baik ini semua, dan tentu rakyat Indonesia akan menunggu hasilnya nanti,” kata Tunas Dwidarto, staf Khusus Kemenpora.

FCB Escola Indonesia menawarkan sejumlah kegiatan, seperti summer camp, seminar, klinik pelatihan di Camp Nou selama dua minggu, dan menonton “El Clasico” secara langsung. Biaya untuk masuk akademi tersebut diperkirakan akan mencapai Rp 10 juta per bulan untuk setiap siswanya.

Dengan ini semakin terbuka lebar bagi para calon garuda muda untuk mengasah skill sepak bolanya. Seperti yang diketahui setelah beberapa anak Indonesia dari Tunas Garuda mendapat kesempatan bersama Arsenal, selain itu ada yang mendapat kesempatan bersama AC Milan Camp Junior ditambah dengan SSB dari klub professional itu merupakan bekal yang cukup bagi garuda muda di masa mendatang.

Tidak memungkinkan pemain Indonesia nanti akan lebih hebat dari Park Ji-Sung, bintang Asia di Manchester United atau mungkin akan ada talenta yang melebihi Jack Wilshere dari akademi Arsenal, Raul dari akademi Real Madrid, Steven Gerard dari akademi Liverpool, Maldini dari akademi AC Milan hingga talenta Indonesia yang melebihi Xavi, Iniesta dan Messi yang merupakan binaan dari Barcelona yang dimana semua akademi itu kini sudah ada dan akan dibangun di Indonesia. Kita doakan saja!

“If Malaysia and Singapore can do it, why can’t we? Even though this is just my dream, I’ll work very hard to make it happen,” National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen Nanan Soekarna said on Monday in a press statement as quoted by tempo.co.

Nanan, who if elected would join a long line of senior police and military officers heading national athletic organizations, said he wanted to bring all automotive sports under IMI up to the international level.

“We have potential racers. IMI will support them to race outside Indonesia,” Nanan said, adding that he would involve the government, sole-authorized agents (ATPM) and other relevant parties to support the move.

IMI is set to appoint a new chairman at its national meeting later this week in Surakarta, Central Java.

Nanan is competing with Army Lt. Gen. Hotma Mangaradja Panjaitan and businessmen Adiguna Sutowo, Benny Laos, Sadikin Aksa and Johny Pramono to replace the current IMI chairman, Ari Batubara.

News Source: The Jakarta Post

Palembang secara verbal sudah menyatakan kesiapannya, dengan catatan pemerintah harus mendukung penuh. Lalu bagaimana dengan kota-kota lain?

Saya rasa dari segi infrastruktur, Jakarta, Palembang, Surabaya, Medan, Balikpapan, Makassar, Malang, cukup siap, tentu saja dengan berbagai penyesuaian, penambahan dan perbaikan.

Indonesia pernah menjadi tuan rumah Asian Games pada tahun 1962, dimana Indonesia menempati urutan 2 dengan 21 medali emas, dibawah Jepang.

GBK sedang dibangun

Bahkan, Stadion Gelora Bung Karno/Senayan di bangun itu gara gara Indonesia menjadi tuan rumah Asian Games 1962 yang merupakan Asian Games yang ke-4 dari tanggal 24 Agustus 1962 sampai 4 September 1962. 1.460 atlet berlaga, datang dari 16 negara, dengan 15 cabang olahraga.

Indonesia perlu segera menyadari bahwa bangsa besar ini harus mulai berlari cepat dan melupakan kesuksesan penyelenggaraan Sea Games. Indonesia pantas menjadi tuan rumah event yang lebih besar, Asian Games. Dan kita perlu memulainya dari sekarang.

“Real Madrid international and cooperation project director and the LPI [Indonesian Education League] national crew chief visited the sports and football facilities and infrastructure in the Lhong Raya area.

“They will build a sports school in Aceh in 2012,” Muhammad Nazar said Thursday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The plan to build the school, he said, was a product of a joint venture between the Real Madrid Foundation and Indonesian Education League.

Muhammad added that the school would be a social project aimed at increasing children’s love for soccer and improving their educational achievements, and also to help improve the future of Indonesian soccer.

According to Muhammad, Real Madrid also plans to open schools in seven other cities across Indonesia in 2012.

He added that Aceh administration was in favor of the project and was prepared to provide support in the form of funding from the regional state budget.

“The Aceh administration supports [the school project]. We hope legislators also won’t mind,” he said

Former England captain Beckham and his coach, Bruce Arena, were both full of praise for the footballing talents of their hosts.

Irish striker Robbie Keane’s goal in the 14th minute sealed the Major League Soccer club’s victory at Gelora Bung Karno, but the host team — a mix of players from the national Under-23 and senior teams coached by Rahmad Darmawan – clearly impressed its illustrious guest.

The MLS champion didn’t entirely dominate the match as expected. The combination of Andik Vermansyah, Greg Nwokolo and Patrich Wanggai up front wreaked havoc in the Galaxy’s defense, but some woeful finishing meant the host was denied the goal its play deserved.

Arena gave a thumbs-up to the Indonesians after the match and reserved special praise for Andik and the newly naturalized Nwokolo.

“Indonesia played very well. It was a difficult game. It was a good performance … The team has very good balance,” Arena said after the game. “Numbers 21 [Andik] and 10 [Nwokolo] played well.”

Beckham was also impressed.

“Like the manager said, it was a difficult game. The Indonesia side is very quick and they know how to play the game,” said the star midfielder, who decided to swap jerseys with Andik after the game despite tangling with him during the match.

“I felt bad for kicking him [Andik]. He’s very talented player and I wanted his shirt,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rahmad said he was proud of his team despite a lack of preparation time.

“The difference was that the Galaxy could control the game tempo,” he said. “This is a good experience for the boys, playing against world-class footballers.”

The downside was that Beckham, a household name around the world, only managed to attract 25,700 fans to the 86,000-seat stadium in Jakarta.

The Galaxy will continue its Asian tour in Manila against the Philippines on Saturday.

The tour wraps up in Australia on Dec. 6 with a match against the Melbourne Victory.

Sepengetahuan orang awam seperti saya, sudah lama rasanya tidak mendengar lagu Indonesia Raya berkumandang sebagai pemenang pertandingan sepakbola bergengsi seperti Sea Games. Maka ketika Garuda Muda menunjukkan cakarnya dalam pertandingan semifinal melawan Vietnam, tidak ada keraguan sedikitpun bagi saya untuk bergabung dengan puluhan ribu supporter lainnya untuk memerahkan Gelora Bung Karno (GBK). Walau bukan pengalaman pertama kali, hati saya tetap berdebar kencang setiap kali melihat kerumunan merah di GBK. Ada sesuatu yang magis dari perpaduan Sepakbola dan masyarakat umum Indonesia, seolah kerumunan merah ini rela mati demi Garuda Muda.

Saya yakin sebagian besar supporter yang datang ke GBK, termasuk saya, tahu bahwa menonton di rumah, atau di cafe, adalah pilihan yang lebih menarik dan juga lebih nyaman untuk menonton pertandingan Sepakbola dibandingkan dengan menonton langsung di GBK yang penuh sesak dengan manusia. Saya juga paham bahwa kehadiran supporter mungkin tidak akan berpengaruh secara langsung terhadap kemenangan team Garuda Muda. Tetapi saya tetap datang, dan sangat jelas terlihat bahwa saya tidak sendiri.

Satu hal yang membuat saya ingin lagi dan lagi untuk menonton langsung di GBK adalah moment dimana lagu Indonesia Raya dikumandangkan. Seumur hidup saya tidak pernah membayangkan bahwa pengalaman menyanyikan lagu Indonesia Raya bisa begitu menggugah hati. Lirik demi lirik yang dinyanyikan membawa optimisme yang tidak terbatas pada negri ini, seolah tak ada lagi yang berarti selain kemenangan malam ini. Adrenalin yang mulai meninggi, semangat, serta haru bercampur di dalam tiap bait Indonesia Raya. Ketika bait “Hiduplah Indonesia Raya..” mengakhiri lagu, teriakan semangat supporter mencapai puncaknya dan untuk beberapa detik saya mengira stadion ini bisa meledak karena teriakan itu.

Pada malam Final, tiket habis terjual sebelum saya bahkan berencana untuk kembali ke GBK. Akhirnya saya putuskan dukungan terhadap Garuda Muda harus tetap ada walau hanya dijembatani oleh layar wide screen sebuah café. Tidak ada lagu Indonesia Raya semenggetarkan di GBK, namun antusiasme penonton tidak kalah semangat. Cina, Sunda, Jawa, Batak dan Papua melebur di café itu menjadi Indonesia. Setiap langkah maju dari Garuda Muda selalu mengundang tepuk tangan dan teriakan. Luar biasa, Garuda Muda berjuang seperti layaknya seekor Garuda yang pantang menyerah.

Untuk saya, satu hal yang terbaca dari pertandingan malam itu, bahwa Garuda Muda tidak menunggu siapapun untuk membanggakan negri ini. Melalui usaha, keringat dan darah mereka sendiri terciptalah prestasi. Kadang menjadi tohokan yang tajam saat komentator menyebut umur para pemain Garuda Muda, mereka telah berbuat nyata untuk negri ini di umur sebelia itu, bagaimana dengan kita?

Pertandingan malam itu telah membawa makna lebih dari sekedar kekalahan dari Malaysia. Dalam kaca mata saya, Garuda Muda dengan sukses menyampaikan pada dunia bahwa mereka telah menjadi perubahan yang ingin mereka lihat dari dunia. They are the change they have been longing to see, and they are the leader they have been waiting for.

Sukses selalu Garuda Muda, tegakkan kepalamu, terbanglah tinggi ke awan. Perlihatkan kepada generasi muda Indonesia, bahwa menyalakan lilin selalu lebih baik dari berkeluh-kesah tentang kegelapan.

Jakarta, 22 November 2011.

written on Good News From Indonesia for MSN by Askiiasari Adityanthi

It was a measure of the host’s achievement that second-place Thailand was well off the pace with only 109 golds.

Indonesia amassed 55 golds from seven events that were part of the Games for the first time.

It was no secret that the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) proposed the inclusion of several niche sports as part of its master plan to dominate the Games. Once it garnered the support of at least three other countries, it succeeded in adding the sports.

The seven newcomers were roller sports, which yielded 12 golds; paragliding with 11; wall climbing 9; kempo 8; water skiing 4; bridge 4; and soft tennis 7.

“Without those sports, we still would have finished on top as we won a further 127 golds. Our closest rival, Thailand, finished with 109,” said Hadi Wihardja, the Indonesian Golden Program (Prima) officer in charge of monitoring the country’s sports training camps, said on Tuesday.

“That was because of our amazing improvement in several Olympic sports, such as swimming and athletics.”

Athletics, which was given a target of seven gold medals, finished with 12, while swimming, which only produced two golds in Laos two years ago, bagged six.

Cycling, which won only three golds in Laos, finished the games with a total of 12 golds from road, track and mountain bike events.

Among the winning performances, some new stars were born. Teenage swimmer I Gede Siman Sudartawa took everyone by surprise, winning four golds and breaking the Games record in the men’s 100m backstroke.

Despite the absence of Suryo Agung Wibowo, Indonesia found a new sprint king in Franklin Ramses Burumi, who finished with three gold medals.

However, Hadi admitted that the nation was still behind Thailand in Olympic sports as it bagged 14 golds from track and field and eight from swimming.

“Thailand has been focusing its athletes on Olympic sports, while we’re just starting to. That’s why more of their athletes have qualified for the 2012 London Olympics and there are now just 28 Indonesian athletes who’ll go there.” Hadi said.

Burma will host the 2013 Games, and Hadi said it would likely only have 25 sports.

On the last day of the Games, Thailand took the final two golds in men’s and women’s futsal in Jakarta. In Palembang, thousands of people poured into Jakabaring Sports City for the closing ceremony.

Compared with the extravagant Rp 150 billion ($16.7 million) curtain-raiser, the closer was a modest one, but there were still several pop stars involved to draw the crowds. Those who didn’t get tickets watched the event on giant screens or gathered in cafes and restaurants in the city.

Palembang cherished its moment in the spotlight all the more after the last-minute rush to complete the venues made many doubt its capability to host the biggest event ever held in the province.

“I’m really proud that my hometown is hosting this big sporting event. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion,” said Rizki Adiputra, 19, before watching Vice President Boediono officially close the Games.

The news of the deaths of two fans in a stampede at the football final at Gelora Bung Karno on Monday gave the closing ceremony a somber undertone, though.

Games organizer Inasoc and the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) said on Tuesday that they took the responsibility and would compensate the victims.

The three new SEA Games records were set by Margareta Herawati in the women`s 100-meter fins, Patrol Gasoline in the men`s 200 meter surface and Angelina Sugianto in the women`s 200 meter surface.

Herawati broke the old SEA Games record of 51.55 seconds in the women`s 100-me fins by clocking at 51.05 seconds on her own name in 2009.

Patrol Gaoline, who clocked at one minute and 24.60 seconds broke the old record of 1 minute 28.60 seconds under the name of Vietnamese Ngu Xuan Phoung in 2009.

In the meantime, Angelina Soegianto set new SEA Games record by clocking at 1 minute 38.07 seconds in the women`s 200-meter event, breaking the old one which was 1 minute and 40.54 seconds under the name of Nguyen Thi Quynh of Vietnam in 2009. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli

It has even been predicted that Indonesia will bag gold medals far exceeding the target because the biennial sports festivities still has 74 other gold medals at stake in the last two days.

On the tenth day of the SEA Games Indonesia collected 15 golds from eight sport events where fins swimming and kempo contributed the biggest number of six golds respectively.

With Indonesia winning 50 more golds than those won by Thailand which is for the time being ranked second in the medal tally, the host country will unlikely be replaced in the first position except there is a miracle.

Soccer is expected to enrich the host`s medal achievement while satisfying its thirst after 20 years of absence in claiming the champion in the soccer field.

Indonesia`s last achievement to become soccer champion in the SEA Games was in 1991 in Manila.

Besides soccer, the other branches which are expected to become the mining field for Indonesian gold medals are paragliding, fins swimming, weightlifting, wushu, cycling, boxing and chess.

The Indonesian `Garuda` (eagle) Team has now flying farther and father ahead as up to 9.30 pm it has collected 154 golds, 129 silvers and 116 bronzes. It is followed by defending champion Thailand with 95 golds, 83 silvers and 105 bronzes.

In the third position was Vietnam, the second winner in SEA Games 2009 in Laos. It had collected 87 golds, 85 silvers and 90 bronzes, followed by Malaysia in the fourth position (52-45-70), and Singapore in fifth position (41-43-71).

Of the 11 participating countries in the 26th SEA Games, Brunei is the only participant which has not yet bagged a gold medal until Sunday but three silvers and seven bronzes.

Competition to win golds on Sunday was marked with the breaking of three SEA Games records in fins swimming at the Jakabaring`s Aquatics Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra.

The three new SEA Games records were set by Margareta Herawati in the women`s 100-meter fins, Patrol Gasoline in the men`s 200 meter surface and Angelina Sugianto in the women`s 200 meter surface.

Herawati broke the old SEA Games record of 51.55 seconds in the women`s 100-me fins by clocking at 51.05 seconds on her own name in 2009.

Patrol Gaoline, who clocked at one minute and 24.60 seconds broke the old record of 1 minute 28.60 seconds under the name of Vietnamese Ngu Xuan Phoung in 2009.

In the meantime, Angelina Soegianto set new SEA Games record by clocking at 1 minute 38.07 seconds in the women`s 200-meter event, breaking the old one which was 1 minute and 40.54 seconds under the name of Nguyen Thi Quynh of Vietnam in 2009.

Yet, the Indonesian success in clinching 15 golds was marked by its failure in the men`s volleyball, bowling and dragon boat race.

Indonesia`s men`s volley ball team unexpectedly surrendered to Thailand`s team 0-3. Indonesia was the gold medalist in the last two SEA Games in Thailand in 2007 and in Laos in 2009 after defeating Thailand 3-2.

The most saddening one was in the bowling event where ten events were contested but Indonesia did not win any gold medal from this branch, even if Indonesia was reinforced with Ryan Lalisang, the gold medalist of the Asian Games in Doha in 2006.

Malaysia came up as the overall champion in the bowling event by claiming five golds, three silvers and six bronzes. It is followed by Singapore with (3-2-2), the Philippines (1-4-1) and Thailand which bagged one gold. Indonesia has to be content with one silver and one bronze.

The same fate was also experienced by Indonesia in the dragon boat race, even if this branch had been able to safeguard Indonesia with three gold medals in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010.

Four dragon boats were fielded by Indonesia in this branch but none of them won a gold medal except one silver and two bronzes. (*)

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono

Patrich Steven Wanggai scored off a free kick in the 61st minute and Titus Bonai was on target in the 89th minute to secure the win..

Only 48 hours before the closing ceremony of the Games, Indonesian athletes secured yet more medals on Saturday, making it even more possible for the country to get its first SEA Games medals table win since hosting the event in 1997.

Two more gold medals were won in the all-Indonesian women’s and men’s badminton doubles finals. In the women’s event Feinya Anneke and Nitya Krishinda were pitted against Vita Marissa and Nadya Melati, while Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan faced off against Bona Septano and Mohammad Ahsan in the men’s final.

In the women’s singles final, Indonesian shuttler Firdasari Ardyanti lost a close match to Singapore’s Fu Mingtian 21-14, 12-21, 20-22.
In men’s tennis, Christopher Rungkat, who is the top-ranked player in the country, defeated Filipino Cecil Mamiit 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 for a spot in the final. Christopher’s next opponent will be the winner of the semifinal match-up between Thailand’s Danai Udomchoke and Indonesia’s Elbert Sie.

In women’s tennis, Ayu Fani Damayanti secured a spot in the final after defeating Thailand’s Nicha Lertpitaksin in two straight sets, 6-0, 6-3. She will play Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewakan for gold.

In synchronized swimming, the women’s team earned a bronze medal, with Thailand taking the silver and Malaysia winning the top spot on Saturday.

The wushu team was golden as Aldy Lukman won the men’s Changquan category and Lindswell grabbed a gold medal in the Taijiquan class at the Tennis Indoor Stadium in Senayan, Jakarta. Achmad Hulaefi also contributed a wushu bronze for the home team.

But it wasn’t all athletics and competition on Saturday. A group of volunteers staged a protest in front of the SEA Games 2011 secretariat, located at the South Sumatra Bank building, demanding severance pay for their fellow volunteers who were dismissed.

Protest coordinator Yogi Pitagora said a total of 1,300 volunteers were sacked on Saturday.

“We’re surprised. How could you fire volunteers while it’s obvious that the SEA Games organizer need all the help they can get?” he said. “We demand an explanation on this matter.”

“I did not expect to win another gold medal. Our opponents in the final were tough because they are the athletes who made it through to the 2012 London Olympics,” she said while discussing her 137-133 win against the Malaysian pair, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Erwina, 18, who won her other two gold medals in the individual and team recurve events, said she was pleased with her achievement as she had not targeted to take part in the SEA Games this year, her first major competition at an ASEAN level.

“From the beginning I had not set myself any targets,” she said.
In making their way to the final, Erwina and Riau shrugged off a formidable semifinal challenge from Vietnam, managing a narrow 142-141 win over their rivals.

As of Thursday evening, Indonesia sat atop the medal tally with 108 golds. Trailing in second place was Vietnam with 68 golds and Thailand was third with 64.
At least 16 golds were scored on Thursday in nine sporting events.
Among them, waterskiing was the biggest winner, accounting for four golds, followed by pencak silat, judo, golf, rock climbing and rowing.
In pencak silat alone, Indonesia has now raked in a total of nine golds, highlighting its regaining power in Southeast Asia following the rise of Vietnam since 1999.
The Jakabaring swimming pool also witnessed the setting of several new SEA Games records that were broken by Indonesian swimmers.
Yessy Yosaputra ripped through the pool to clock 2.15.73 in the women’s backstroke 200 meters event, breaking an 18-year record set by Akiko Thomson from the Philippines in the 1993 SEA Games.
Meanwhile, her compatriot, debutante I Gede Siman Sudartawa, took three golds in the men’s 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke events.

The 17-year-old even broke a 10-year SEA Games record in the 100m event.
Sports Development Committee Chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI) Joko Pramono was astonished at the level of achievements delivered by the Red-and-White contingent, describing it as “simply bizarre and funny”.
“I say bizarre and funny since we attain these achievements while we are witnessing faltering support [for our sports],” Joko said in Palembang on Thursday as quoted by Antara state news wire.
According to Joko, a similar mood was built up when Indonesia became the overall champions in the 1997 SEA Games in Jakarta amid reportedly late funding support.
A similar atmosphere boosted the athletes’ fighting spirit.

“This situation makes us more powerful and pumps up the spirit to continue to work hard to find a solution and stop complaining,” he said.

“I dedicate this gold medal to my family, friends and the supporters who have given me amazing support,” said the 18 year old after her final match, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

In the final, Ivana snatch victory over her toughest rival, Cheau Xuen Tai from Malaysia. The host-country athlete came away with 9.55 points, while her Malaysian opponent only managed 6.60.

Ivana said that she was emotionally moved by her achievement after failing in the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, from where she returned home empty-handed.

Fellow Indonesian wushu athlete Heryanto also added to the country’s unrivaled gold medal collection when he won the men’s Nan Quan category, gaining 9.72 points in fierce competition against Vietnam and Malaysia.

Rock climber Galar Pandu Asmoro on his way to winning one of his two gold medals for Indonesia, which on Friday bagged nine of the total of 10 gold medals on offer in the sport at the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra. (Antara Photo)

Palembang, South Sumatra. Indonesia swept nine of the 10 gold medals up for grabs in the rock climbing event of the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Friday. Two of the climbers, Galar Pandu Asmoro and Tita Puspita, each won two gold medals respectively in the men’s and women’s speed world record on Friday. The Garuda Muda Indonesia team also won silver medals through Onny Mamiri in the men’s and Evi Nelawati in the women’s events. Overall, Indonesia won nine gold and five silver medals and the Philippines one bronze medal, Thailand two silver and one bronze and Singapore one silver and seven bronze medals. Malaysia bagged just one silver and two bronze medals in the event and Vietnam a lone silver. The bronze medals for men’s and women’s rock climbing went to Singaporean athletes, namely Wengkit Andriel and Judith Ming Xin. Six countries participated in the men’s speed world record category, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam. On the final day of the event, only Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia participated in the women’s event. Indonesia’s team manager Hendri Wijaya expressed satisfaction over the achievement made by his team. Antara

Taken from: The Jakarta Globe

I Gusti Nyoman Puruhito Praditya Jati did his family of archers proud with another gold medal on Wednesday.?(JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)

Though it’s not necessarily a guarantee of success, being part of a family that shares the same interest can help an athlete. It certainly did for I Gusti Nyoman Puruhito Praditya Jati.

The Indonesian archer, known as Adit, defended his Southeast Asian Games gold medals in the men’s individual compound event on Wednesday.

Adit beat Filipino opponent Earl Benjamin Jancito Yap 144-141 in a nerve-jangling contest at Senayan archery range to earn his compound individual gold hat-trick after first winning it at the 2007 Games in Thailand.

“That was close, but I always believed that I could win this,” said the 26-year-old, who got a big hug from his mother Endah Sulistyorini after his last arrow hit the target. “I could never have done this if not for [my mother].”

Endah is not just Adit’s mother for him. She is a former national-team archer who now serves as the team’s coach and his personal trainer.

In addition, his father IGN Budiana is the national archery team manager, while sister IG Ayu Putu Wulan and brother IGM Said Prayuda are also former national-team archers.

Adit said the most important thing for an archer besides skill and technique was self-confidence. As part of a family of archers, he has all the support he needs to keep up that confidence.

“They have been my biggest supporters,” Adit said. “They have been beside me all the way, so I feel confident in every match.”

A proud Endah did not hide her joy over Adit’s achievement.

“He’s the one who always wanted to be a professional archer. He even used his own money to buy equipment such as bow and arrows, which don’t come cheap,” she said. “We’re really proud of him.”

Adit has his eyes on another gold medal today. He will compete in the team compound event with Kuswantoro and Catur Wuri. “His victory will give the team more confidence. I hope they can finish with another gold,” Endah said.

Adit’s gold was Indonesia’s second in archery after Erwina Safitri won the women’s individual recurve on Tuesday.

News source: The Jakarta Globe

As it turned out, her dramatic collapse and grimaces of pain after crossing the finish line were more down to the agony of her feet.

She was rushed to the hospital in Palembang, missing the medal ceremony. It was not until later that her coach learned she had run the marathon with blistered, injured feet after winning the 5,000 meters on Saturday and the 10,000 meters on Monday.

Triyaningsih revealed her injuries during an interview with state news agency Antara on Tuesday but asked the reporter not to mention them until after the marathon.

“I want my third gold. I want to dedicate them to my late father,” she said. “Please don’t tell anyone about this. My coach will forbid me from running if he knows about this.”

Her father, Saderi, died on Jan. 11 this year.

Triyaningsih made good on her promise, winning the marathon in two hours, 45 minutes and 35 seconds. Burma’s San Ni Lar came in 61 seconds behind to win silver while Bham Thi Binh of Vietnam was third in 2:48:43.

Her victory was part of an eye-opening performance by the host nation in athletics. Indonesian athletes exceeded all expectations, earning 13 gold medals, 12 silver and 11 bronze, just one gold behind regional power Thailand.

Yahuza completed a marathon sweep for the host, winning the men’s event in 2:27.45.

Indonesian Athletics Federation (PASI) officials expressed surprised at the team’s success, having only set a target of matching its seven gold medals from the 2009 Games in Laos.

“This is unbelievable,” PASI head of athlete development Paulus Lay said. “This is proof that our youth development programs are running well. Almost 80 percent of the gold medalists are youngsters.”

One of the youngsters is sprinter Franklin Ramses Burumi, who endured a rough start to 2011 and was almost kicked off the team for disciplinary problems and poor performance.

He came good in the end, though, emerging as the region’s new spring king after winning the men’s 100 and 200 meters. He succeeded countryman Suryo Agung Wibowo, who won both events at the 2007 and 2009 Games but skipped this year’s edition to go on the hajj.

Franklin earned a third gold as part of the victorious men’s 4×100-meter relay team.

“We have to make sure this is our stepping stone to greater achievements,” Paulus said.

Indonesian aquatics is also enjoying a sudden surge.

Its swimmers and divers had combined for two gold medals in the last three Games, but as of Wednesday the host had won five swimming golds and one in diving.

“We have lots of potential athletes, but we didn’t nurture them well in the past. That’s why we were way behind others in the region,” said Tony Sastramihardja, the Indonesian Swimming Association (PRSI) secretary general.

“We realized our mistakes and have gradually improved our training programs. We’re still in our first steps, so I think we’ll need more than five years to be on a par with Singapore. But we are on our way there.”

I Gede Siman Sudar, 17, won the men’s 50-, 100- and 200-meter backstroke, setting a new Games record in the 100 at 55.59 seconds.

Another teenager, Yessy Yosaputra — who happens to be Siman’s girlfriend — won the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:15.73, a new Games record.

News source: The Jakarta Globe

The 17-year-old’s win was one of a handful of surprising performances by Indonesian athletes in the Southeast Asian Games, raising hopes for the future as the country looks to expand its medal-winning prowess beyond badminton and niche sports.

Siman won the 50 in 25.62 seconds, with teammate Glenn Victory 0.4 seconds back in second. The gold medal was his third of the Games, having also won the 200-meter backstroke on Monday and the 100-meter event on Tuesday and set a new Games record in the 100.

He became the second Indonesian swimmer to set a new Games record. Yessy Yosaputra, who is also 17 and Siman’s girlfriend, did likewise in the women’s 200-meter backstroke on Sunday.

Siman and Yessy are part of the country’s next generation in Olympic sports. Indonesian swimmers and divers had combined to win just two gold medals in the previous three Games.

“All has been going well for us so far, but we still need more medals to finish the Games on top,” said Andi Mallarangeng, the minister of youth and sports affairs. “The progress in athletics and swimming have exceeded our expectations, and we want to improve on this in the future.”

Indonesia has earned six golds in swimming and diving this year, including one from men’s 10-meter synchronized platform divers Muhammad Nasrullah and Luthfi Niko Abdill.

Athletics has also enjoyed a surprise boost. Going into the Games, the Indonesian Athletics Association (PASI) only wanted its athletes to match the seven golds earned at the 2009 Games in Laos, given the number of youngsters in its squad, but the host nation finished with 13 after Wednesday’s final events.

Long-distance runner Triyaningsih added the women’s marathon gold to her victories in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Indonesia tops the table with 87 golds and 222 medals overall. Vietnam is second with 54 golds, two ahead of Thailand.

News source: The Jakarta Globe

In front of a full house at Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia defeated archrival Malaysia 3-1 in the men’s team final on Tuesday.

Despite playing against a young Malaysian team — the country decided against sending its top players such as world no. 1 Lee Chong Wei and men’s doubles stars Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong — the host was forced to play all out to win the gold.

Simon Santoso had a rather shaky start and made several mistakes before beating world No. 47 Daren Liew 22-20, 21-12 in the first singles match.

Around 4,000 spectators in the stadium, who lent their raucous support to the home shuttlers, were silenced after Malaysia took the next match to level the score 1-1.

Bona Septano and Mohamad Ahsan were stunned by world No. 27 Lim Khim Wah and Goh Wei Shem as the world’s sixth-ranked duo lost in a three-game thriller 21-18, 15-21, 25-23.

However, Tommy Sugiarto then showed he really did deserve his late call-up.

Tommy, who has won four international titles after withdrawing from the national training camp last year, didn’t give Mohamad Arif a chance and put Indonesia ahead again with a 21-13, 21-17 victory.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic men’s doubles champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan secured the gold with their 21-10, 21-14 routing of Mak Hee Chun and Ong Soon Hock.

“It was a tough match, but I was determined to win from the start. I was behind in the first game, but all the fans’ support gave me more power to fight back and win the match,” Simon said. “Now I want to defend my gold in the men’s singles event that I got in Laos two years ago.”

The badminton gold was one of 11 that Indonesian athletes managed to snatch on Tuesday. Indonesia leads the medal tally with 71 golds, 58 silvers and 56 bronzes. Thailand is in second place with 46-35-54.

The Games, held in Jakarta and Palembang, will continue until Nov. 22.

Franklin Ramses Burumi cemented his status as Southeast Asia’s new sprint king, swimmer
I Gede Siman Sudar followed in his girlfriend’s footsteps, winning gold in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, while the women’s badminton team fell short in the final.

Indonesia on Monday added 18 more gold medals,17 silvers and 13 bronzes to bring the country’s total tally to 58 golds, 46 silvers and 37 bronzes.

Overall, Indonesia is still on course to finish the Games on top for the first time in 14 years. Thailand, currently in second place, has 35 golds, while Vietnam is in third with 27.

Despite the absence of top Indonesian sprinter Suryo Agung Wibowo, who skipped the Games for the hajj, Franklin maintained the country’s domination in the sprint events.

After winning the 100-meter dash on Saturday, the 21-year-old added a second gold in the 200 meters at the Jakabaring athletics stadium in Palembang.

Suryo had won both events at the last two SEA Games.

“I’m happy and proud that I didn’t waste all that effort in training. I also ran my best career time [in the 200 meters], though I’m a bit disappointed not to break any record,” Franklin told reporters after finishing the race in 20.93 seconds. The SEA Games record is 20.69, set by Thailand’s Reanchai Seeharwong in 1999.

“Now that I have what Suryo has, I want to break his [Games] record [in the 100 meters]. I think I can do that in two years.”

Thai sprinter Suppachal Chimdee finished second in 21.05 seconds, followed by compatriot Sarr Suwannarangsri 0.41 seconds further back.

Long-distance runner Triyaningsih, who won the women’s 10,000 meters on Saturday, pocketed her second gold by winning the 5,000 meters in a time of 16:06.37. Phyu War Thet of Burma took the silver, while another Indonesian, Rini Budiarti, rounded out the podium.

Triyaningsih will aim for a third gold from the marathon on Wednesday.

Balinese swimmer Siman won his gold in the presence of his girlfriend, Yessy Yosaputra, who won the gold medal on Sunday in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:02.44, breaking the SEA Games record.

Defending champion Zach Ong Wei Shien of Singapore was 0.22 seconds behind Siman and his compatriot, Rainer Ng Kai Wee, was third.

The day’s heartbreaking loss was suffered by Indonesia’s women’s shuttlers, who fell 3-1 to Thailand in the team final at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta.

Saya pernah membaca sebuah artikel di The Strait Times Singapore beberapa tahun lalu, yang menyatakan bahwa Indonesia saat ini sedang diuntungkan oleh moment-moment yang menentukan, namun banyak orang Indonesia sendiri yang lebih asyik berbicara mengenai politik dan pernak-perniknya ketimbang berbicara mengenai kesempatan besar di berbagai bidang yang kini ada di “meja” Indonesia. Salah satu imbas negatif dari besarnya energi bangsa ini yang terbuang ke ranah politik, adalah terbengkalainya bidang olahraga. Masih menurut harian The Strait Times, Indonesia seakan kehilangan taringnya ketika ajang-ajang olahraga internasional dilangsungkan, padahal Indonesia dulunya adalah “the regional powerhouse” yang (masih menurut harian itu) banyak negara ASEAN yang hanya mengincar posisi ke-2 atau 3 bila Sea Games digelar.

Logo Sea Games 1987 di Jakarta (seagoffice.org)

Sebelum ajang Sea Games 26 di gelar, ada 2 kubu yang sama-sama bersemangat menyambutnya. Kubu yang pertama tak henti berteriak, “AYO INDONESIA BISA!”, sementara kubu yang lain tak henti menyuarakan pesimismenya, mulai dari yang venue tak akan selesai tepat waktu hingga Indonesia yang sulit merebut tahta juara umum. Media dengan segala A B C-nya menambah hiruk-pikuk itu dengan leluasa, sampai-sampai banyak masyarakat yang kemudian ikut pesimis. Saya adalah orang mungkin paling optimis di Indonesia, namun jujur saya akui, saya sendiri waktu itu mulai merasa khawatir bahwa Sea Games akan diundur. Sebelum akhirnya pemerintah memastikan bahwa Sea Games akan berjalan tepat waktu.

Ayo Indonesia Bisa

Mungkin banyak orang Indonesia yang tidak menyadari, terutama para anak muda, bahwa “jelek-jelek begini” Indonesia adalah pemegang rekor juara umum terbanyak sejak Sea Games dilangsungkan pada 1977; Indonesia pernah menjuarai sebanyak 9 kali, sementara peringkat 2 adalah Thailand yang menjuarai sebanyak 5 kali. Dari ajang-ajang Sea Games masa lalu lah, rakyat Thailand menaruh hormat pada Indonesia. Saya pernah beberapa kali bertemu dan ngobrol panjang dengan masyarakat Thailand, dan umumnya mereka begitu mengingat betapa jayanya atlit-atlit Indonesia di masa lalu.

Raja renang Sea Games, Richard Sam Bera

Namun sejak 1997, Indonesia tak pernah lagi mengecap manisnya juara umum, dan itu cukup menjadi buah bibir di kalangan olahragawan dan pecinta olahraga di Thailand. Di Asia Tenggara, dulunya Indonesia seperti China di Asia, selalu juara, dan mendominasi. Tenggelamnya Indonesia di ajang Sea Games sejak 1997, cukup mengagetkan, seolah-olah seperti membayangkan China tak pernah lagi juara Asian Games.

Bagi saya, sekali lagi, bukan atletnya yang perlu kita sorot, namun energi dan fokus kita untuk olahraga memang sudah habis terkuras untuk gontok-gontokan ekonomi dan politik di dalam negeri. Hal yang sama tidak terjadi di negara-negara tetangga, yang terus menerus membangun olahraganya. Myanmar, dan Vietnam, dua negara peserta baru, ternyata juga sudah memiliki kekuatan berimbang dengan negara-negara Asia Tenggara yang lain.

Beberapa hari menjelang Sea Games dibuka, saya sibuk berpikir bagaimana kalau Indonesia tidak juara di kandang sendiri? Iklan-iklan ‘Ayo Indonesia Bisa’ di saluran-saluran TV nasional ternyata cukup membantu menjaga asa dan optimisme saya.

Good Old Days, New Dawn

Pembukaan Sea Games 26 Palembang (Wikipedia Commons)

Saya tweet di Twitter GNFI, betapa berdebar-debarnya saya menanti upacara pembukaan Sea Games di Palembang. Hal terakhir yang teringat dalam benak saya adalah megahnya pembukaan Asian Games di Guangzhou, China. Benar-benar megah, dan tentu saja sedikitpun saya tidak berani berharap pembukaan Sea Games di Palembang akan mendekati kemegahannya.

Namun tak kuasa saya menahan haru ketika gelegar dan gemerlap laser dan kembang api menghiasi langit di atas Jakabaring. Perpaduan manis antara keseriusan, kejeniusan, teknologi tinggi, kekompakan, persiapan matang, dan biaya besar. Banyak media-media luar negeri yang memuji keindahan dan kemegahan pembukaan Sea Games 2011 di Palembang, bahkan salah satu media paling tua di Filipina, menulis panjang artikel untuk itu hanya dengan sebuah kata “SPECTACULAR!”. Media-media di Eropa dan Amerika Utara tak ketinggalan memberikan apresiasi.

Dan yang lebih hebat lagi, atlet-atlet Indonesia tanpa henti menyumbang medali tertinggi. Untaian masa-masa indah masa lalu pun kini terajut kembali menjadi fajar kejayaan olah raga Indonesia. New dawn for the powerhouse! Ayo Indonesia Bisa!