VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

After its success to be in the fourth rank in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia is now preparing to compete again at the 2018 Asian Para Games which will be held in Jakarta on October 6 to 13, 2018. Secretary of Youth and Sports Ministry Gatot S Dewabroto, after the 2018 Asian Para Games coordination meeting in Jakarta recently said that Indonesia was targeting the top 10 positions at the 2018 Asian Para Games. The target was set by Indonesian President Joko Widodo based on the athlete's achievements at the ASEAN Para Games 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the 2014 Asian Para Games in Incheon, South Korea.

“Yesterday Indonesia was successful at the Asian Games, which was previously targeted 16 gold medals, but it could grab 31 gold medals. Thus it is same at the Asian Para Games. So after the Indonesian contingent for the ASEAN Para Games in Malaysia last year returned, thanks God we were the overall champion. Then it was targeted by the President, there would be an increase in rankings from four years ago following the Asian Para Games in Incheon. In Incheon our ranking was the ninth. Then the target of the President can be ranked seventh. In fact, we already have an estimate that it is not for the seventh but the fifth,” Gatot S. Dewabroto said.

Furthermore Gatot Dewabroto said that his party already had its own estimations and strategies that were part of Indonesian sport intelligence. He revealed that the calculation and strategy referred to the sports branches that Indonesia would favor in the Asian Para event. 2018 Asian Para Games will be participated by 41 National Paralyimpic countries with a total of 2,800 athletes, 1,800 officials, and 500 media, both domestic and foreign. There are 18 sports that will be contested, including basketball, volleyball, fencing, table tennis, swimming, shooting, judo, cycling and chess. (VOI/Rezha/DP)