Indonesia Secures Five More Asian Games Climbing Spots with Gold, Bronze in Meishan

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s climbing team strengthened its presence at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by earning five additional qualification spots along with one gold and one bronze medal on the second day of the World Climbing Asian Championship in Meishan, China, Thursday, April 9, 2026.

The standout performance came from Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, who captured gold in the women’s speed event. She clocked 6.07 seconds in the final, defeating China’s Zhou Yafei, who finished at 6.47 seconds. The victory not only secured the top podium spot but also guaranteed Desak a place at the Asian Games, Antara reported.

In the men’s speed event, Veddriq Leonardo added bronze to Indonesia’s medal tally. He won the small final against China’s Ling Yongzhi, who suffered a fall, recording a time of 5.15 seconds. Despite finishing third, Veddriq also confirmed his qualification for Aichi-Nagoya.

Beyond the medalists, several other Indonesian climbers secured tickets through strong performances. Aditya Tri Syahria finished sixth in men’s speed, posting 5.37 seconds in the quarterfinals against teammate Veddriq, who had 5.01 seconds.

In women’s speed, Berthdigna Devi Surya Kusuma placed fifth, recording 6.73 seconds in the quarterfinals against Desak, who clocked 6.48 seconds.

Indonesia also gained a spot in men’s bouldering through Raviandi Ramadhan, who advanced to the semifinals after climbing from 22nd in qualification (69.4 points) to 11th in the semifinals (49.9 points).

He joins compatriots who had already qualified in earlier events: Putra Tri Ramadani (men’s lead), Sukma Lintang Cahyani (women’s lead), and Ravianto Ramadhan (men’s boulder).

With these results, Indonesia has now secured eight tickets for the Asian Games 2026: two in men’s speed, two in women’s speed, two in men’s boulder, and one each in men’s and women’s lead.

The Asian Championship still has lead events to be contested in the coming days, leaving Indonesia with further opportunities to expand its representation at the continental stage. ***