RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia made a strong start at the 2026 World Cup Woodball Championship in Perlis, Malaysia, winning two gold medals and one silver while keeping multiple title hopes alive, reinforcing the country's growing status as one of the sport's leading nations.

Indonesian Woodball Association (IWbA) Chairman Aang Sunadji praised the athletes' performances, saying the results reflected the success of the country's long-term player development program.

"Winning two gold medals and staging an all-Indonesian final shows that Indonesia's woodball development is on the right track," Aang said in an official statement on Monday, July 27, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Indonesia's first gold medal came in the Men's Fairway Team event, won by Eka Candra Aprilyanto, Moh Habibullah, Fachri Husaini, I Gede Prabawa Mapet Darma Nugraha, Erif Nurachmad Satrio Mulya, and Ahmad Yopi Solpianda.

Indonesia also dominated the Women's Fairway Doubles, where two Indonesian pairs reached the final. Bibit Setyaningati and Ika Yulianingsih defeated Nur'Izza and Ardin in the all-Indonesian championship match to claim gold, while Nur'Izza and Ardin earned silver.

Indonesia remains in contention for more medals. Indonesian athletes have advanced to the finals of both the men's and women's Stroke Singles events, while the men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles stroke competitions are still ongoing.

IWbA remains optimistic that its athletes can maintain their form and further strengthen Indonesia's position as one of the world's leading woodball nations.

"The competition is not over yet. Several events are still to be played, and our chances of winning more gold medals remain wide open. We hope all athletes stay focused, maintain their condition, and perform at their best until the championship ends," Aang concluded.

Woodball is a precision sport invented in Taiwan in 1990, combining elements of golf and croquet. Players use a wooden mallet to strike a wooden ball through a series of gates, aiming to complete the course in the fewest strokes.

The sport is now played in over 45 countries, including Indonesia. Woodball was introduced in Indonesia in the early 2000s and is now managed by the Indonesia Woodball Association.

Woodball is popular among students and universities due to simple rules and minimal equipment needs. Indonesia has become a regional powerhouse, winning two golds and one silver at the 2026 Woodball World Cup in Malaysia. ***