RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia opened its medal account at the 2026 Asian Beach Games through teenage climber Antasyafi Robby Al Hilmi, who secured a silver medal in the men’s speed event after a dramatic run to the final in Sanya, China.

Robby, 18, admitted his performance in qualification was far from ideal, but he managed to recover strongly in the knockout rounds.

“Actually, my performance in qualification was not satisfying because out of four attempts I missed three. But I believed I could bounce back in the final, and thankfully I got silver,” Robby said in a written statement on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Robby began his campaign with a time of 4.94 seconds in qualification, placing seventh and advancing to the round of 16. He edged Japan’s Shuto Fujino with a time of 4.89 seconds before defeating another Japanese climber, Ryo Omasa, in the quarterfinals with 4.98 seconds.

In the semifinals, he delivered one of his best performances, beating Kazakhstan’s Rishat Khaibulin with a time of 4.81 seconds to reach the final.

However, in the gold medal match against China’s Zhao Yicheng, Robby committed a false start, handing the victory to his opponent and settling for silver.

Despite the disappointment, Robby expressed pride in his achievement at his first Asian Beach Games appearance. “I’m very happy competing in Sanya, the weather is good, the people and culture are friendly. This is also my first Asian Beach Games,” he said.

He added that he is determined to improve and aims to become a world champion in the event.

Other Indonesian climbers had mixed results. Raharjati Nursamsa reached the quarterfinals, while Aditya Tri Syahria and Ramaski Aswin Kristanto were eliminated in the round of 16.

In the women’s category, Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, Puja Lestari, and Kadek Adi Asih exited in the quarterfinals, while Amanda Narda Mutia fell in the round of 16. Robby’s silver medal placed Indonesia 17th in the medal standings as of April 28, 2026.

The Indonesian climbing team is set to compete in the speed relay on Wednesday, marking their final event at the Games. Indonesia’s Chef de Mission, Krisna Bayu, praised Robby’s performance, highlighting his potential for future international success.

“Robby is still young. Winning a medal at the Asian Beach Games shows he has great potential to achieve even higher,” Bayu said. ***