Indonesia's first Asian Games gold medal sparks new drive

Photo caption: Indonesian men's singles badminton player Alwi Farhan (center) celebrates with his teammates after Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah defeated Chinese men's singles player Weng Hongyang in the team final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, on Thursday (September 24, 2026).(ANTARA FOTO/Fauzan/agr)

Nagoya, Japan (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games should inspire athletes still competing to step up their efforts, Indonesia’s Chef de Mission Todotua Pasaribu said.

Todotua said the badminton team’s gold medal could motivate other sports to follow suit and help Indonesia win as many medals as possible.

“Alhamdulillah, Indonesia’s first gold finally came from the men’s team badminton event. Indonesia Raya could be heard and the Red and White flag flew,” Todotua said in Nagoya, Japan, on Friday.

He said he was proud of the men’s badminton team after it defeated China in the final on Thursday (Sept. 24).

Todotua said the result reflected the dedication and lengthy preparation of the athletes, coaches, officials and Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) administrators for Asia’s biggest multisport competition.

The men’s badminton team secured the gold after a dramatic comeback, having fallen 0-2 in the opening two matches before winning the next two.

Indonesia’s Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah sealed the victory in the deciding singles match, securing a 3-2 overall win.

Todotua said the men’s badminton team had demonstrated perseverance and a refusal to give up.

“When you were trailing, you kept believing, continued fighting and eventually turned the situation around. This is the spirit we want to see from the entire Indonesian team,” Todotua said.