Indonesia Starts Strong, Securing One Silver and Four Bronze on Day One

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - On the opening day of the 2026 Asian Games, Indonesia secured one silver medal in teqball and four bronze medals in wushu, teqball, soft tennis, and karate.

Indonesia’s first silver medal came from teqball athlete Sumaya, who reached the women’s singles final at the Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center in Aichi, Japan. She narrowly missed out on gold after a tight three‑set match against Myanmar’s Wai Khin Hnin, with scores of 12–10, 8–12, and 9–12.

Chief de Mission of the Indonesian contingent, Todotua Pasaribu, praised the athletes’ performances. “Today’s medal collection was quite significant. We earned one silver and four bronze medals. We were pleasantly surprised and very happy,” Todotua said in a statement received in Nagoya on Sunday, September 20, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

Todotua described the early results as an encouraging sign and hopes that Indonesia could maintain a consistent rhythm throughout the Games. “We hope this consistency and momentum can continue. We are monitoring several events that have already reached the quarterfinal and semifinal stages, which means our chances of adding more medals remain strong,” he said.

Although satisfied with the opening results, Todotua emphasized that the contingent is still pursuing its primary objective. “What we are still waiting for is a gold medal,” he said.

Support for Indonesia’s campaign has also come from the highest levels of government. Todotua said President Prabowo Subianto has been closely monitoring the contingent’s progress in Aichi–Nagoya.

He added that he received a message from Cabinet Secretary officials encouraging the team to stay motivated. According to him, the President has even expressed willingness to hold a video call with the contingent if Indonesia succeeds in winning a gold medal.

“Last night, I received a message from the Cabinet Secretary telling us to stay motivated. The President is monitoring our progress and has even said he would be willing to hold a video call if Indonesia wins a gold medal,” Todotua said.

He noted that communication and coordination with various sports federations continue to ensure athletes receive the support they need.

“Everything is being closely monitored. We continue providing support and maintaining communication with every sport,” he said. Todotua also urged athletes and officials whose events have not yet begun to remain focused on their preparations and avoid distractions from non‑technical matters.

He said the Indonesian contingent continues coordinating with the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the organizing committee, and local authorities to address logistical and operational needs.

“For athletes and officials who have not yet arrived because their competition schedules are later, stay confident, trust the process, and focus on your events. Leave the non‑technical matters to us,” he said.

The Indonesian team is also monitoring weather conditions through its command center and evaluation team, including developments related to potential typhoons that could affect competition schedules.

“Stay focused and keep preparing both physically and mentally. We hope this momentum continues and allows us to win even more medals,” Todotua concluded. ***